BRIJUNI: U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he is sending his undersecretary for peacekeeping operations to Syria to assess the situation there as Syrian government forces and rebels continue fighting over the control of the country.

"I am sending my Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations (Herv? Ladsous) to Syria to assess the situation as well as the top U.N. military advisor to lead UNSMIS (mission) in this critical phase," Ban said after meeting top Croatian officials in the Adriatic resort of Brijuni. AGENCIES