The ongoing Syrian conflict was the main topic of discussion Saturday between U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi ahead of the upcoming U.N. General Assembly.

The two expressed hope the summit in New York will help improve the humanitarian situation and the overall crisis in Syria, which they said is a growing threat to peace and security in the entire region.

A statement released after the meeting said the two men focused on how to address what they called “the appalling levels of violence in Syria.”

Government and opposition forces waged fierce battles across Syria on Saturday, as the rebel Free Syrian Army announced it was moving its command center from Turkey to Syria.

Opposition activists said at least 25 people were killed as security forces pounded targets, mainly in and around Aleppo where the military has launched raids to try to dislodge rebels from their strongholds.

Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army, comprised mostly of military defectors, released a video saying it is moving its command to “liberated areas” of Syria.

FSA Colonel Riad al-Assad said the group hopes to launch an offensive on Damascus. Ausama Monajed of the opposition Syrian National Council says the shift to a Syrian base will benefit rebel fighters.

“The rebel fighters can organize and have a better chain of command and expand their operations from there.”

In a VOA interview, Monajed says rebel fighters have improved their tactics, strategies and weaponry, but currently are not ready to take on Damascus.

On Friday, the Egyptian weekly Al-Ahram Al-Araby published an interview with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in which he says opposition fighters would never been victorious in battles against his government.

In other developments, Turkish media reports say that country has deployed military vehicles to the Syrian border because of heavy fighting in the area.