UN Security Council condemns terrorist attack in NW Pakistan

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the "heinous and cowardly" suicide terrorist attack outside a police station in Pakistan's northwestern Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The council members expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Pakistan, and wished the injured a speedy and full recovery.

They underlined the need to hold the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice, and urged all states to cooperate actively with the Pakistani government and all other relevant authorities in this regard.

The council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and stressed the need for all states to combat by all means threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

In Sunday's blast, a suicide bomber attempted to enter the police station but was intercepted by a policeman at the main gate, where the bomber detonated the explosives on himself. A peace rally was being held near the police station.

Local authorities said Monday that the death toll rose to 19 after more victims succumbed to their injuries.