(CNN) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the head of the United Nations that military and police operations against anti-government protesters have stopped, according to a statement released by the Secretary-General's office.
Details of a telephone conversation between the two men were released late Wednesday, shortly before the U.N. Security Council was to be briefed Thursday on the Syrian government crackdown against protesters calling for al-Assad's ouster.
"President Assad said that the military and police operations had stopped," the statement said.
It is unclear when the conversation between al-Assad and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took place, though the statement was released after Syria's state-run media reported security forces pulled out of the hard-hit western port city of Latakia and the eastern city of Deir Ezzor.
Earlier Wednesday, opposition groups claimed at least 10 people were killed in military crackdowns in the flashpoint cities of Latakia, Homs and Idlib. They also said Syrian forces had withdrawn to the outskirts of some cities, though they were still in the streets of al-Ramel, a hard-hit neighborhood in Latakia.
During the conversation, Ban reiterated calls for an independent investigation into opposition claims of killings by Syrian forces, the statement said. He also called on the Syrian government to cooperate with the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.
"The Secretary-General expressed alarm at the latest reports of continued widespread violations of human rights and excessive use of force by Syrian security forces against civilians across Syria," the statement said.
Ban specifically pointed to the Ramel district of Latakia, where opposition groups said a military offensive began over the weekend.
The U.N. statement did not detail whether al-Assad responded to Ban's specific requests.
Despite claims by the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency that troops withdrew from the city, the opposition group Local Coordination Committees of Syria told CNN on Wednesday that troops were still in the Ramel district.
CNN cannot independently confirm the claims by either side as the Syrian government has refused to allow international journalists to enter the country. The opposition claims are based on reports from opposition organizers, eyewitnesses and medical professionals, who will speak only on condition of anonymity out of fear for their safety.
The Ramel district is home to a Palestinian refugee camp, which typically holds 10,000 people. But a U.N. aid group and the opposition groups say many were either asked to leave by the military or fled out of fear of the crackdown.
The LCC said Wednesday that 10 people were killed, eight in Homs, one in Latakia and one in Idlib.
Figures from different opposition groups differed slightly. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the number of dead in Homs at nine; Avaaz reported four Palestinians killed in Latakia, five people killed in Homs and two in Idlib.
Latakia, Homs and Idlib are among flashpoint cities in the Syrian uprising that began in March with mass protests following the arrest of teens for scrawling anti-government graffiti.
Protesters are demanding free elections and an end to the reign of al-Assad, whose Alawite-minority led government rules the Sunni-majority in Syria.
Amid the conflict in recent months, al-Assad lifted the state of emergency and abolished a court set up to try people posing a threat to the regime. But at the same time, opposition groups claim arbitrary detentions have continued, as has the use of force against demonstrators.
"President al-Assad indicated that reform in Syria stems from the conviction of the Syrians and not a response to foreign pressure, affirming that Syria will remain firm and resistant, and will not relinquish its dignity and sovereignty," state-run SANA reported Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the United Nations on Wednesday announced the temporary withdrawal of some staff members amid the violence in Syria.
The United Nations is relocating 26 nonessential international staff members and their families from Syria, said Michael Williams, the U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon.
He said he had been concerned over the conflict in Latakia.
There are normally more than 160 international U.N. staffers in Syria, with many of them based in Damascus, a spokesman said. The largest U.N. agency in Syria was the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, with 61.
On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council was to be briefed by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay; Valerie Amos, under-secretary-general of humanitarian affairs and emergency relief efforts; and a U.N. political officer.
The meeting is not expected to result in issuance of a statement or adoption of a resolution; its purpose is to get the 15-member council closer to a decision on how to proceed.
The U.N. Human Rights Council is also focused on the unrest. It plans to hold a special session Monday on Syria, according to Cedric Sepe, press officer at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
He said member states have called for the session, in Geneva, Switzerland. The session may extend into Tuesday, he said.
These moves reflect international anxiety and outrage among world powers, including the United States, and among Syria's neighbors, including Jordan and Turkey, over the crackdown.
Tunisia has recalled its ambassador to Syria for "consultations," the Tunisian news agency said Wednesday, citing an "authorized" Foreign Ministry source.
Last week, Saudi King Abdullah called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria and recalled the Saudi ambassador from Damascus.
Bahrain and Kuwait also have recalled their ambassadors from Syria and called on the al-Assad regime to end crackdowns.
While the government has maintained that it is targeting "armed groups" and "terrorists" during the five-month-long unrest, witnesses and opposition activists say the government has been brutally cracking down on civilians amid calls for al-Assad's ouster.
In Washington, the U.S. government announced that it was placing travel restrictions on the Syrian ambassador to match those imposed last month by Syria on the U.S. ambassador. The Syrian ambassador must seek State Department approval prior to any U.S. travel outside the core Washington area.
The LCC has said that at least 2,545 people have died since the protests began. The vast majority was civilians, and 391 were security personnel, the group said.
CNN cannot independently confirm the claim.
