Female Kurdish fighters on a road block in Northern Syria

CAIRO: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday he feared that the militarization of the conflict in Syria could turn the country into a “regional battleground.”

“We are deeply concerned about the continued militarization of the conflict, horrendous violations of human rights and the risk of Syria turning into a regional battleground as the violence intensifies,” Ban said during a visit to Cairo.

He urged the international community to support the efforts of UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi for “an inclusive Syrian led political transition that will address the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.”

As the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, Ban also appealed to countries “to generously contribute more to our humanitarian programs inside Syria and in the region and to assist Syria’s neighbors in dealing with the refugee crisis.”

Fresh fighting between Kurdish militiamen and Syrian rebels erupted yesterday in the northern Syria town of Ras Al-Ain, where dozens have died since the new front in Syria’s complex civil war opened last week.

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