The UN Security Council on Friday condemned "in the strongest terms" Wednesday's terrorist attack at a natural gas complex in In Amenas, Algeria.

In the attack, allegedly aimed at avenging Algeria's support for French involvement in conflict in neighboring Mali, al-Qaida-linked militants took hundreds of Algerian and foreign workers hostage.

The council members "expressed their deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the victims of these heinous acts and their families and to the people and governments of Algeria and those countries whose nationals have been affected," said a statement issued by Masood Khan, Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, whose country now holds the rotating Security Council presidency.

Algerian forces on Thursday launched an operation in a bid to set free the hostages. The official APS news agency said more than 670 hostages, including 573 Algerians and about 100 foreigners have been freed, but the raid also left 12 Algerian and foreign hostages and 18 militants dead.

The Irish government confirmed that one of its citizens was free. Japan said three of its nationals had been freed in the operation, but 14 remained unaccounted for. Five American hostages were reported to have survived and left the country.

"The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, and urge all States ... to cooperate actively with the Algerian authorities in this regard," the statement said.

They also "reiterated their determination to combat all forms of terrorism," added the statement.

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