Annan "horrified" by Syrian deaths in Houla

The Joint United Nations and Arab League special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, said on Monday he was “horrified” by the gruesome weekend massacre that killed more than 100 people in Houla, and called on ``every individual with a gun'' to lay down arms and stop the killing.

The Syria government has strongly denied allegations that its forces carried out the killings, but the U.N. Security Council after an emergency session on Sunday condemned government forces for shelling residential areas.

The attack prompted the International Committee for the Red Cross to reissue an appeal to both sides of the conflict to avoid civilian casualties.

"We urge the parties to the fighting to distinguish at all times between civilians and those participating in the hostilities," said Marianne Gasser, the head of the ICRC delegation in Syria. "Especially when fighting in populated areas, the parties must constantly take care in their choice of means and method of warfare to spare civilians the effect of the hostilities."

Listen to interview by Charles Collins with ICRC media spokesperson Phillipe Stoll: