United Nations: UN Security Council members have "strongly condemned" the murder of Indian police officer in Kosovo, Major Satish Menon and asked all concerned to co-operate with United Nations missions to identify the perpetrators of the crime and bring them to justice.

The Kerala-born Menon was a civilian police officer serving with the UN Interim Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). The car in which he was travelling on August 3 was ambushed and gunmen fired from a hilltop. Menon died but a British officer driving the car escape unhurt.

Menon, who had joined the mission only a few weeks earlier, became the first police officer to be slain since the mission was established in 1999.

Council president Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe of Syria said the members offered their condolences to the family of Menon, who was shot while on duty in the northern part of Kosovo, and to the government of India.

The members reaffirmed joint efforts of the international community to build a better future for Kosovo, and underlined that UNMIK police and the Kosovo Police Service have an important role in this effort and in guaranteeing security and the rule of law, Ambassador Wehbe said.

They also appealed to all concerned to fully co-operate with UNMIK and the international security presence to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, he added.

PTI