Clashes are continuing throughout Syria amid new warnings of worsening violence. Earlier today, Syrian rebels killed at least seven fighters loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A convoy of U.N. monitors reportedly narrowly missed a roadside bomb that struck a Syrian military vehicle, wounding seven soldiers. In a briefing to the U.N. Security Council, special envoy Kofi Annan said Syria is close to a civil war.

Kofi Annan: “I believe that the U.N. Supervision Mission is possibly the only remaining chance to stabilize the country. And I’m sure I’m not telling you any secret when I tell you that there is a profound concern that the country could otherwise descend into full civil war, and the implications of that are quite frightening. We cannot allow that to happen.”