Barcelona terror attack: UN condemns 'barbaric and cowardly' strike, calls for strict action against terrorism

United Nations: The UN on Friday strongly condemned the “barbaric and cowardly” terror attack in Spain with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council calling for the perpetrators and financiers of such “reprehensible acts” to be brought to justice. Guterres said the United Nations stands in solidarity with the government and the people of Spain in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. “He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those killed and to the government and people of Spain,” UN chief’s deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement. The statement said that Guterres hopes that those responsible for this heinous violence will be swiftly brought to justice. [caption id=“attachment_3944159” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Barcelona attack was claimed by Islamic State. AP[/caption] A van ran into a crowd of pedestrians walking through Barcelona’s famed Las Ramblas area, killing at least 13 people and wounding many others. The Security Council, in a statement, also condemned in the strongest terms the “barbaric and cowardly” terrorist attack which took place in Barcelona on Thursday. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. “They expressed their solidarity with Spain in its fight against terrorism and stressed the need to intensify international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, which may be conducive to terrorism,” the statement said. The 15-nation Council underlined the need to bring the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these “reprehensible acts” to justice and urged all member states to cooperate actively with the Spanish government.