Security Council, Ban Say Killing of U.S. Ambassador 'Unjustifiable'

The U.N. Security Council and U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday hit out at the killing of the U.S. ambassador in Libya as "unjustifiable."

The 15-nation council put aside divisions over the NATO military action in Libya and the Syria conflict to agree on a statement condemning the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi "in the strongest terms."

The council also strongly condemned an earlier mob attack on the U.S. embassy in Cairo. Both have been blamed on anger over a film which mocks Islam and its prophet Mohammed.

The Security Council "reaffirmed that such acts are unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, whenever and by whomsoever committed."

Ban was also "deeply saddened" by the Benghazi attack in which U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other U.S. staff and a number of Libyan guards were killed, said a separate statement released by a U.N. spokeswoman Vannina Maestracci.

"The secretary general condemns this attack in the strongest terms," added the statement.

"The United Nations rejects defamation of religion in all forms. At the same time, nothing justifies the brutal violence which occurred in Benghazi yesterday."