New York: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has "condemned in the strongest terms" the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahal-gam.

The UNSC further emphasised that the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of this "reprehensible act of terrorism" must be held ac-countable.

In a press statement on 'Terrorist Attack in Jammu and Kashmir', the 15-member UNSC strongly denounced the 22 April terror attack in which 26 people, including 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen, were killed and several others injured.

The victims were mostly tourists from all across India.

"The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April, during which at least 26 people were killed and many more injured," the press statement said.

The council said that it expresses "deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of India and Gov-ernment of Nepal and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured". "The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice," the press statement said.

"They stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard," it said. A press statement is a declaration to the media made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of all 15 Members.

France holds the UNSC presidency for April, and the press statement was issued by French Ambassador to the UN, Jerome Bonnafont.

The UNSC members reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and man-ifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

They reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifia-ble, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whom-ever committed.

They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in ac-cordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, in-ternational refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.