Security personnel stand guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo on April 22, 2019, a day after the church was hit in a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. (Xinhua/AFP)
UNITED NATIONS, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" the series of terrorist attacks across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
In a press statement, the Security Council said the attacks that took place at St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian's Church in Negambo, Zion Church in Batticaloa, the Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand, and Kingsbury hotels in Colombo as well as three explosions across Sri Lanka are "heinous and cowardly."
The attacks on April 21 have killed at least 290 people and injured more than 500 others.
The members of the Security Council expressed their "deepest sympathy and condolences" to the families of the victims and to the government of Sri Lanka and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.
The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.
They also urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the government of Sri Lanka and all other relevant authorities in this regard.