UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Sunday "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks" in Istanbul, Turkey, which left at least 39 people dead and 155 others injured.

The 15-nation UN body, in a press statement, reaffirmed that "terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security."

"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 urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of Turkey and all other relevant authorities in this regard," the statement said.

Two bomb blasts outside a football stadium in central Istanbul on Saturday, reports said, adding that a moving car was detonated targeting riot police on duty near a stadium in the district of Besiktas, where a football match ended about one and half an hour before.