The UN Security Council on Tuesday urged all parties in South Sudan to immediately cease hostilities and exercise restraint in order to "prevent any spread of the current violence" in the world's youngest country, Xinhua reported.
The appeals, contained in a statement, came out the of the 15-nation Security Council's "serious concern over the fighting that began on Dec. 15 and is ongoing in the capital city of Juba, and other areas, in South Sudan that has reportedly resulted in large numbers of casualties, as well as over the risk of targeted violence against certain communities."
"The members of the Security Council urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities, exercise restraint and refrain from violence and other actions that could exacerbate tensions," the statement said.
Earlier on Tuesday, UN under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, told the UN Security Council that between 400 and 500 bodies had been taken to hospitals in Juba, while another 800 had been wounded, following two days of heavy fighting between rival sides in the South Sudanese troops.