UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon has urged the Security Council to reduce the number of unarmed military observers in Syria and focus more on political efforts to end the country's crisis.

Ban has recommended in a report to the 15-nation Council that the UN Supervision Mission in Syria be redeployed to Damascus from regional cities where the conflict has grown in recent weeks. The UN chief has outlined several options for a force of about 300 unarmed military observers and more than 120 civilian staff in Syria. He has proposed temporarily reducing the number of observers and focus on political engagement until fighting subsides.