United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says he has spoken to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and urged him to 'stop killing people' and engage in dialogue.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to Brazil's capital, Mr Ban also said he hoped the UN would be able to speak in a 'coherent' manner over Syria.
Meanwhile, the Syrian army attacked new villages around the flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur early today, forcing dozens of Syrians to flee to the Turkish border.
Dozens of displaced Syrians, including many children and women, arrived at the Turkish border either on foot or by vehicles.
They joined the thousands of Syrians who have already fled the army crackdown on the northwest town of Jisr al-Shughur, but hesitate to cross into Turkey.
Syria's military, spearheading assaults on cities and towns to crush a three-month uprising, is showing cracks along sectarian lines that could threaten President Bashar al-Assad's political survival.
