United Nations, Shawwal 23, 1435, August 19, 2014, SPA -- The U.N. Chief on Monday expressed concern over reports regarding an attack on a column of internally displaced persons (IDPs) attempting to leave Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. According to media reports, the Ukrainian military said many people died when rockets hit the vehicles during Monday’s attack. “He urges all sides to respect the rules governing the status of IDPs and refugees and to allow safe passage to anyone attempting to leave areas of active military operations,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters. “This tragic incident makes the urgency of a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution even more stark,” Dujarric added. Ban repeated calls for a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, and urged President Petro Poroshenko to implement his peace plan. --SPA 11:05 LOCAL TIME 08:05 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w