Russian FM rules out military intervention in Syria

A military intervention into an ongoing political conflict in Syria is out of the question, Russian Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov said. "I don't think anyone in his sober mind is considering a military intervention in the current situation there [in Syria]," Lavrov said during his visit to El Salvador on Monday. Lavrov criticized calls for resignation of Bashar al-Assad, saying that the Syrian president has announced a number of democratic reforms in the country and invited opposition to join a dialogue over the future of the political system in the country. The Russian minister also condemned the refusal of opposition to negotiate a peaceful solution to the current political conflict in Syria. "This will lead the country to a serious crisis, which everybody wants to avoid considering a strategic role Syria is playing in the region and in the settlement of the Middle East conflict," Lavrov said. Syria has been rocked by mass protests demanding reforms and the resignation of Assad for almost six months. Pressure from international powers has mounted to end the crackdown. According to UN investigators, about 2,200 civilians are thought to have been killed since protests began in the southern city of Deraa in mid-March. The Syrian government says over 500 servicemen and security officers were also killed. The UN Human Rights Council is drafting a resolution that "deplores the continuing indiscriminate attacks on its [Syrian] population" and seeks an immediate stop to "all acts of violence", the BBC reported on Monday.