Clinton says Syria may face 'serious consequences'

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government on Sunday to halt operations targeting civilians, or face "serious consequences".

"Our message must be clear to those who give the orders and those who carry them out: Stop killing your fellow citizens or you will face serious consequences," Clinton said in prepared remarks at a conference on the Syrian conflict in Istanbul.

Clinton said the United States was providing communications equipment to Syria's civilian opposition. She added that despite accepting a new peace plan proposed by U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan, Assad's government appeared to have broken its promises.