The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday decried the mass hostage-taking at a school in southern Russia and demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of all hostages.

The council "condemns in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist act involving the taking of hostages at a secondary school in the town of Beslan" earlier in the day as well as other recent terrorist attacks in Russia, said a statement read by Council President Antonio Yanez-Barnuevo of Spain.

The statement, which was adopted at a formal council meeting, urged all states to cooperate actively with the Russian authorities in their efforts to find and bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of these terrorist acts.

The council "reaffirms that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever and by whomsoever committed."

The emergency council meeting was called at the request of Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Andrey Denisov following the hostage-taking of some 400 students, their parents and teachers in the Beslan school by a group of unidentified armed menand women.

Earlier Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Carol Bellamy, executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), both issued statements denouncing the hostage-taking in Beslan.

The hostage-taking incident was the latest of a series of terrorist attacks to hit Russia. On Aug. 24, two Russian passengerjets crashed, killing all 90 people aboard. The crashes were blamed on suicide bombings. On Tuesday, a woman blew herself up ata Moscow subway station, leaving 10 people dead and 51 others injured.

Russia is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, along with China, the United States, France and Britain.

Source: Xinhua