BEIRUT: U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly during a meeting Tuesday with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun expressed concern over the continuing violence in Syria, which has continued unabated despite the arrival of Arab League observers in the crisis-ridden country.

“Ambassador Connelly expressed the United States’ deep concern that the Syrian regime continues its violent oppression of the Syrian people, despite the presence of the Arab League monitoring mission,” a statement from the U.S. Embassy said.

Connelly and Aoun, an ally of Damascus in Lebanon, met at the latter’s residence in Rabieh and discussed the political and security situation in Lebanon as well as the situation in Syria, the statement said.

The U.S. envoy also stressed her government’s concerns over the repercussions for Lebanon of the Syria crisis.

The U.N. estimates over 5,000 Syrians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the crackdown by Damascus since unrest gripped the tightly controlled country in early 2011.

Syrian authorities deny targeting civilians, blaming “armed gangs” for the deaths.

During the meeting with Aoun, Connelly also addressed the expectation that the Lebanese Cabinet would support the rights of women, “including those related to domestic abuse, affirming that human rights are inherent and are neither bestowed nor earned.”