Gulf states urge Syria to stop violence

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates called on Thursday on Damascus to “stop the violence” in its deadly assault on the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. “We stress the need for the Syrian regime to stop the violence, to allow in humanitarian aid, and to take seriously the path of a political solution to the crisis,” the Saudi foreign ministry said on Twitter. The Emirati foreign ministry expressed concern at the escalation of violence and called for an “immediate truce” to halt the bloodshed and protect civilians. Qatar slammed the assault as an outright “massacre”. “The State of Qatar expresses its strong... condemnation of the massacres and intensive aerial bombardments carried out by the forces of the Syrian regime,” read a statement released by Qatar’s foreign ministry. — AFP