West ups pressure for UN action on Syria

Damascus: Western governments ratcheted up the pressure for UN Security Council action against Syria on Wednesday with France branding blocking moves by China and Russia "indecent."

US President Barack Obama said Syrian leader Bashar Al Assad had no legitimacy after repeatedly ducking opportunities for reform, as ties between Damascus and Western governments nosedived after pro-regime protesters attacked the US and French embassies.

Bombs damage two gas pipelines in Syria

An explosion meanwhile hit a pipeline in northeastern Syria in the first attack on the country's energy infrastructure since unprecedented protests against Assad's rule erupted in March, state media and activists said.

France, which with other European governments has been circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council for months only to see it blocked by veto-wielding permanent members China and Russia, said it was vital the world body take action over Assad's deadly crackdown on dissent.

"It is indecent because Bashar Al-Assad has mobilised incredible resources to neutralise his opposition," said Defence Minister Gerard Longuet.

"Countries... like China... and Russia must accept common rules - one does not deal with one's opposition with cannon fire," he told the LCI news channel.

Human rights groups say Syrian security forces have killed at least 1,300 civilians and arrested more than 12,000 in a crackdown in which security service agents backed by troops have gone house-to-house to crush any display of dissent.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Monday that it was "no longer acceptable" that Russia and China were allowed to block the draft resolution on Syria.