Syrian President Bashar al-Assad condemned on Sunday the deadly Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese village of Qana as "state terrorism", the official SANA news agency reported.

"This massacre reflects again the brutality of the usurper entity and state terrorism that it practices before the world's eyes and in its hearing," al-Assad was quoted as saying in a telephone talk with his Lebanese counterpart Emile Lahoud.

Assad "shared his shock and sadness at the horrible carnage committed by Israel against innocent civilians in Qana," the report said.

Assad reiterated Syria's "complete solidarity with the brotherly Lebanon and full readiness to offer whatever may contribute in backing him to face the Israeli brutal aggression".

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri also called his Lebanese counterpart Fouad Siniora, expressing "strong condemnation over the horrific crimes that Israel is committing in Lebanon".

At least 51 Lebanese, including 22 children, were killed in an Israeli air raid on the village of Qana Sunday morning when two missiles slammed into a four-story building where people were taking shelter.

Angry Lebanese crowd broke into the UN headquarters in Beirut to protest the raid on Qana, the deadliest single Israeli attack since the conflict began 19 days ago.

Siniora ruled out any talks on finding a durable end to the conflict until there was an immediate halt to Israeli offensive, and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Source: Xinhua