European allies and US seek urgent Security Council meet on Syria

Britain, France and the United States have requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting on the escalating campaign in Syria’s second city of Aleppo, diplomats have said.

The meeting was likely to be held at 10 am (local time) on Sunday, the diplomats said on Saturday. Intense air strikes toppled buildings and killed at least 45 civilians in Aleppo yesterday, two days after the Syrian army announced an offencive to retake the rebel-held east of the city.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier said he was appalled by the “chilling” upsurge in fighting in Aleppo and warned that the use of advanced weaponry in the battleground city could amount to war crimes.

Ban cited reports of air strikes involving the use of incendiary weapons, bunker buster bombs and other powerful munitions in the offencive launched by the Syrian army two days ago to recapture the city.

He warned that “the apparent systematic use of these types of indiscriminate weapons in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes,” a statement from his spokesman said. A week-long ceasefire agreed between the United States and Russia ended on Monday and efforts to revive the truce failed.