DAMASCUS, Syria, June 12 (UPI) -- Syrian ground troops and aircraft stepped up an assault on a northern dissident town Sunday to "cleanse" it, state television reported from Damascus.
The town of Jisr al-Shugur near the Turkish border has seen fighting between anti-government militants and government forces for almost a week. It escalated Friday when the army advanced to "restore security and tranquility to the area which was being terrorized by armed terrorist groups," the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
As helicopter gunships hovered over the town Sunday, there was an artillery barrage followed by infantry fanning throughout the town to "cleanse the national hospital from the elements of the armed gangs," Syrian national television said.
The mounting violence has sent thousands of Syrians to Turkey, although a Turkish official said Saturday they weren't considered to be refugees as it was expected they would ultimately return home when the fighting stopped.
Meanwhile. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon issued an appeal Sunday to President Bashar al-Assad's government to stop targeting civilians, CNN said.
"The Syrian authorities have an obligation to protect their people and respect their rights. The use of military force against civilians is unacceptable," Ban's statement said.
Since March, protesters have been calling for an end to Assad's 40-year rule and a democratic government.
