International mediator Kofi Annan has condemned the bloodshed in Syria on Wednesday and said it underscored the urgent need for decisive action by world powers to stem the violence and pave the way for political transition.

Annan, joint United Nations-Arab League envoy, said in a statement issued in Geneva by his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi: "The Joint Special Envoy condemns all bloodshed, and violence in all its forms, and believes that today's violence only underscores the urgency of decisive Council action."

[Source: Reuters]