UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities amid the recent escalation of violence in Syria, his spokesman said on Monday.

Guterres is alarmed by the recent escalation of violence across northwest Syria, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN chief, said in a daily news briefing.

The UN secretary-general called for immediate cessation of hostilities, reminding all parties of their obligations under international law, including humanitarian law, and urged an immediate return to the UN-facilitated political process in line with Security Council Resolution 2254(2015).

Guterres' statement came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group designated as terrorist group by the Security Council, and its allied opposition factions launched a major rebel offensive last week in northwest Syria's Aleppo and shifted front-lines that had been static since 2020.

According to the UN spokesman, there are reports of civilian casualties, displacement of tens of thousands of people, damage to civilian infrastructure and interruption in essential services and humanitarian aid.

"Over 48,500 people have been displaced as of 30 November," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement on Monday.

Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian objects, including by allowing safe passage to civilians fleeing hostilities.

"Syrians have endured conflict for nearly 14 years. They deserve a political horizon that will deliver a peaceful future — not more bloodshed," he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday highlighted the necessity to cooperate to help the Syrian government in its fight against the "terrorist" groups in its territory.

In a phone call, the two sides described the recent actions by the "terrorists" in northern Syria as a serious threat to the stability and security of the country and the West Asia region, according to a statement by Iranian president's office.

Pezeshkian said Iran maintained that the recent events were part of the "dangerous" US-Israeli plot to manipulate the region's political geography in Israel's favor.

Putin stressed that Russia believed the "terrorists" were not the main decision-makers behind the ongoing developments in northern Syria, but their supporters.

He added that Moscow was determined to work with Iran to assist Syria's official and legitimate government in its fight against the "terrorist" groups.

Also on Monday, Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers had a meeting in Ankara, discussing ways of defusing tensions in Syria.

Russia, Iran and Turkiye launched the process in January 2017 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which aims for a peaceful settlement in Syria.

Agencies Via Xinhua