UNITED NATIONS - A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the Syrian interim authorities to advance an inclusive transition process and take decisive measures to combat terrorism.

The Syrian interim authorities announced the launch of a one-month independent investigation following the indiscriminate killing of civilians in the coastal areas, "the inhumanity and brutality of which is outrageous," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said in remarks at a UN Security Council meeting.

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"We are following the progress in this regard, and we hope that the Syrian interim authorities will carry out their work in a transparent and responsible manner, which is crucial to the international community's assessment of the credibility of the political transition in the country," he said.

Nearly 1,500 people, including more than 1,000 civilians, have been killed in the widespread violence in western Syria's Latakia and Tartus provinces since March 6, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UN Security Council condemned the mass killings of civilians and urged the government to "protect all Syrians without distinction."

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Meanwhile, Fu said that China takes note of the recent measures to advance the political transition, calling for the government to "earnestly deliver on their commitments" and engage in broad dialogue and consultation with all sectors in the country to achieve genuine inclusiveness.

The ambassador also expressed concern about new terrorist threats in Syria and underscored the need to preserve the bottom line of countering terrorism.

Following the change in the situation in Syria, foreign terrorist fighters in Idlib have moved across the country, posing an immediate threat to the Syrian people and regional and international peace, Fu said. "They have been involved in the mistreatment and killing of civilians in the coastal areas. This is yet another reminder of the need to remain highly vigilant against the terrorist forces in Syria."

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"We urge the interim authorities to fulfill their counter-terrorism obligations and to take decisive measures to combat all Security Council-listed terrorist organizations, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party," he said.

Reiterating that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity should be respected, Fu condemned Israel's airstrikes against Syria and urged it to withdraw from Syrian territory without delay.

"China has been closely following the situation in Syria. We sincerely hope that, with the help of the international community, Syria will steadily advance its political transition and restore peace and stability at an early date," he said.