Gun fire on the streets of Aleppo as citizens run to take cover.<br/> <br />Amateur video out of Syria, which could not be independently verified by Reuters shows the escalating violence in a country that some fear is on the brink of civil war.<br/> <br />Now the UN is suspending its operations.<br/> <br />General Robert Mood is the head of the UN mission in Syria.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL ROBERT MOOD, HEAD OF U.N. OBSERVER MISSION IN SYRIA, SAYING:<br/> <br />"In this high risk situation, UNSMIS is suspending its operations. U.N. observers will not be conducting patrols and will stay in their locations until further notice.<br/> <br />While the suspension will be reviewed on a daily basis there are no signs of a let up to the violence.<br/> <br />Hundreds of people, including civilians, rebels and government forces, have been killed in the two months since a UN-backed ceasefire was launched that never took hold.<br/> <br />Activists say that at least 22 civilians were killed on Saturday alone.<br/> <br />The U.S. State Department said Saturday that the sooner a political transition occurs in Syria the higher the odds of preventing a long and bloody civil war.<br/> <br />Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters
