Four members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have decided to join other members and close their embassies in Syria

Four members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have decided to join other members and close their embassies in Syria, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani said in a statement early Friday that Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait took the step in protest to what it called the Syrian government’s “choosing the military option and rejecting all initiatives” to deal with the unrest.

Zayani called on the international community to "take firm and quick measures to stop the killings, torture and blatant violation of the dignity of the Syrian people and its legitimate rights", SPA said.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain announced on Wednesday that their missions to Syria would be shuttered. Apart from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, the GCC comprises the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.