UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are “unacceptable and must cease”.

“What is happening in the region around the Golan Heights is totally unacceptable," he said, adding: "I'd like to remind the international community that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory."

He called for an end to Israeli violations in Syria and urged international support for the country's transition on his first visit under the new authorities following years of civil war.

Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, where they deployed in 2024 after the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. (Reporting by AFP)