UN envoy warns that Syrian conflict is increasingly regional, if not global

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N.'s top Mideast envoy is warning that "Syria is increasingly turning into a regional, if not a global, battleground."

Robert Serry, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the Security Council on Tuesday that the Syrian government "continues to use its military might against civilian areas, which is increasingly attracting foreign fighters."

Serry cites a surge in sectarian threats and violence in Syria and the region. He also accuses the government and opposition of failing to protect civilians and warns that the humanitarian needs of millions of Syrians are outpacing U.N. efforts to increase the delivery of aid.

He adds: "Recent reports of military victories by the government should not create false confidence that the conflict can be won militarily."