Clinton heading to UN to condemn Syria

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she will attend a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday to lend her support to Syrians seeking democratic change.

Clinton says the US will support an Arab-backed condemnation of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

She says Assad is blocking a peaceful transition by attacking the Syrian people, and warned that instability could spill over throughout the Mideast.

Assad's regime is intensifying an assault against army defectors and protesters. The UN says more than 5400 people have been killed in a crackdown since March. More than 190 were killed in the past five days.

Clinton's statement condemned the Assad regime's escalation of violence 'in the strongest possible terms'.

She called the shelling of civilian areas with mortar and tank fire 'brutal' and said whole buildings were levelled.