UN monitors shot at trying to get to Syria massacre: Ban

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UN monitors trying to get to the scene of a new massacre in Syria were shot at, UN leader Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday, calling the latest atrocity 'shocking and sickening'.

Ban discussed the attack on the UN monitors in a speech to the UN General Assembly hours after the reported slaughter of dozens of people in the village of Al-Kubeir.

"UN monitors were initially denied access," Ban told the 193-country assembly.

"They are working now to get to the scene and I just learned a few minutes ago that while trying to do so, the UN monitors were shot at with small arms."

Ban again strongly condemned President Bashar al-Assad's government, saying it had 'lost all legitimacy', with its record further tarnished by the massacres in Houla last month and in Al-Kubeir.

"The trail of blood leads back to those responsible," he said.

"Any regime or leader that tolerates such killing of innocents has lost its fundamental humanity."

Ban called the reports coming from Al-Kubeir 'shocking and sickening'.

"We condemn this unspeakable barbarity and renew our determination to bring those responsible to account," he said.

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was also due to address the General Assembly meeting.