United Nations chief Antonio Guterres is “very concerned” over the situation in Kashmir and wants all member states to protect their civilians, reports said.

“The Secretary-General is, indeed, very concerned about the situation that we’ve seen in Jammu and Kashmir. He reminds that Member States are responsible under international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters at his daily press briefing, according to a PTI report.

He said the Secretary-General reiterated his call on nations to find ways to address disputes in a peaceful manner.

His remarks came after Indian army on Sunday shot dead down 13 militants and four civilians in separate encounters in south Kashmir’s Shopian and Anantnag districts. Three Army soldiers were also killed in the operations.

Dujarric added that civilians need to be protected wherever they are, “whether it’s in Gaza, whether it’s in Jammu and Kashmir, or whether it’s in Yemen. It’s a basic principle of this organisation.”

When asked if the Secretary General is calling for an investigation into the matter, Dujarric said that “any loss of civilians needs to be investigated wherever they occur.”