U.N. Chief 'Alarmed' at Syria Crackdown Escalation

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday expressed alarm at the heightened Syrian government crackdown on protests and said there were now more than 1,000 dead.

"The secretary general is alarmed at the escalation of violence in Syria, which has reportedly left at least 70 killed over the past week alone, bringing the total casualties since mid-March to over 1,000 dead, many more injured and thousands arrested," said a U.N. spokeswoman Vannina Maestracci.

It was the first death toll from the protests given by the U.N. leadership.

Ban is "deeply troubled by the continued serious violations of human rights, including disturbing reports of the deaths of children under torture, live ammunition and shelling. All killings should be investigated fully, independently and transparently."

The U.N. secretary general noted President Bashar Assad's announcement of an amnesty and national dialogue committee.

"He emphasizes, however, that violent repression by security and military forces must end immediately for a genuine and inclusive dialogue to take place and lead to the comprehensive reforms and change called for by the Syrian people," said the spokeswoman.