Cairo/Baghdad, March 9 : The Arab League (AL) has been following with great concern the security situation in Syria, the pan-Arab body said in a statement.

The AL on Saturday also condemned violence and uncontrolled killing, as well as any external interventions aimed at fueling the internal situation in Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Secretary General of the League of Arab States condemned on Saturday acts of violence and targeting of government security forces in Syria.

The Egyptian Ahram Gate website quoted the General Secretariat as saying in a statement on Saturday: "The General Secretariat voices its condemnation of the acts of violence and targeting of government security forces and uncontrolled killing, as well as any external interventions aimed threatening civil peace and exacerbating the challenges facing Syria at the current stage."

"We are following up with great concern the developments of the security situation in the coastal region of Syria, and the confrontations that took place there."

The General Secretariat stressed that these conditions require focusing on policies and measures that enhance and fortify stability in order to thwart any plans seeking to destabilise Syria and undermine its chances of recovery.

The ongoing developments in Syria require a focus on policies and measures that enhance stability and civil peace in order to thwart attempts at destabilising Syria and hindering its recovery, the statement added.

Also on Saturday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the ongoing security developments in Syria and called for the protection of civilians and restraint from all parties.

Iraq categorically rejects the targeting of innocent civilians, the Ministry said in a statement, warning that continued violence will exacerbate the crisis and deepen instability in the region.

The Ministry called on all parties to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue to resolve disputes rather than resorting to military escalation.

Following clashes in Syria's coastal Latakia Governorate, which resulted in severe casualties and injuries, Egypt's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday night, reaffirming Egypt's support for the Syrian state, its national institutions, and its stability in the face of security challenges.

The Ministry said Egypt rejects any move that would undermine the security, safety, and stability of the Syrian people.

At least 237 people have been killed in Syria's coastal region since the latest military escalation began on Thursday, according to casualty figures released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Friday.

The war monitor reported that military personnel, resistance fighters, and civilians were among those killed as government forces continued their crackdown on remnants of the former regime's military factions in the governorates of Latakia, Tartous, and Hama.

It marked the deadliest escalation in the country since the fall of the previous government last December, the observatory said.

/IANS