Syria's opposition leader resigns; UN cites unlawful killings

The head of Syria's main opposition group resigned Thursday from his post following criticisms, as a United Nations human rights commission claimed that both sides have been carrying out unlawful killings in the country's conflict, dpa reported.

The Syrian National Council (SNC), an umbrella of various opposition factions, said it had formally accepted the resignation of Burhan Ghalioun as its head following a meeting in Istanbul.

Ghalioun, who has led the SNC since its creation in October 2011, had been frequently criticized by activists at home for not coordinating with them in their campaign to oust President Bashar al-Assad, and of being too close to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The divisions within the SNC ranks have affected the world's support for the Syrian opposition and its credibility.

George Sabra, a Christian opposition figure, is seen as a possible successor to Ghalioun, a SNC source told dpa.

Meanwhile, a UN rights watchdog in Geneva blamed both sides for violations during their 14-month conflict.

Its three-member panel cited accounts of security forces using both precise shelling to hit opposition strongholds and indiscriminate targeting of residential areas where opposition fighters are believed to be hiding.

The UN commission said that while "most of the serious human rights violations ... were committed by the Syrian army and security services," opposition fighters were also responsible for such crimes as torture, executions and abductions.

At least 20 people were killed on Thursday alone by Syrian forces, mostly in the central province of Homs and in areas on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, reported opposition activists.

More than 12,600 people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed in Syria since an anti-government uprising began in 2011, according to the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UN has estimated the number of deaths at 9,000.

Meanwhile, Syria's new parliament, dominated by al-Assad's supporters, held its maiden session and elected Mohammed Jihad al-Lahham as its speaker.

Al-Lahham, a veteran official in the ruling Baath Party, is the head of the Bar Association's branch in Damascus, according to local media.

Syria held parliamentary elections on May 7 despite a boycott by the opposition.

A new constitution, approved earlier this year, has allowed the creation of political parties in Syria along with Baath, which has dominated the political life in the country for decades.

The opposition has dismissed the move as a cosmetic attempt by al-Assad to ease the pressure piled on his regime to institute genuine reforms after the pro-democracy uprising.