2nd LD Writethru: UN Security Council slams terrorist attacks on embassies in Libyan capital

The UN Security Council on Tuesday "condemned in the strongest terms" the terrorist attacks against the embassies of the Republic of Korea and Morocco in Tripoli, Libya, underlining "the need to bring the perpetrators of these acts to justice."

"The members of the Security Council condemned all acts of violence against diplomatic premises, which endanger innocent lives and seriously impede the normal work of diplomatic representatives and officials," said a statement issued to the press here by the 15-nation UN body.

The council members expressed their "deepest condolences" to the families of the two Libyans killed in the attacks, the statement said.

Unknown gunmen on Sunday attacked the South Korean Embassy in Tripoli, leaving two guards dead and one wounded, according to security sources.

A bomb exploded near the Moroccan embassy in Tripoli late Sunday, causing significant damage to the compound, security sources said on Monday. The bomb was believed to be planted in a car parked in front of the embassy, and the blast severely damaged the building, an officer for Tripoli's security directorate said.

Tripoli fell to the hands of the armed Islamist coalition Libya Dawn last August, when the internationally recognized Libyan government retreated to the eastern town of Tobruk. The city has been plagued by bomb attacks, assassinations and kidnappings.

Several embassies, including those of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, have been targeted by militants in similar attacks.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, constitutes one of the most serious threats to peace and security and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivations, whenever and by whomsoever committed," the statement said.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and all obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts," said the statement.

"The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring the perpetrators of these acts to justice," it said.

"The members of the Security Council recalled the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, and the obligations on host Governments, including under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity, and to prevent any attack on diplomatic agents and consular officers," the statement added. Endi