United Nations, Shawwal 10, 1433, Aug 28, 2012, SPA - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the killing of hundreds of civilians in a suburb of the Syrian capital over the past week and called for an independent investigation, his spokesman said on Monday. “The secretary-general is shocked by reports of the discovery of hundreds of civilians killed over the past week in the town of Daraya,” spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York City. “The secretary-general strongly condemns this appalling and brutal crime.” Nesirky said the situation in Daraya must be investigated immediately in an independent and impartial manner, and those responsible for perpetrating any crimes must be held accountable. The spokesman noted that the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was looking into the matter. --SPA 11:25 LOCAL TIME 08:25 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1025132