UN Security Council condemns Japan hostage's murder

In a unanimous declaration, the 15 members of the security body spoke out against the Islamic State group's "brutality" in its apparent beheading of self-employed security contractor Haruna Yukawa.

"The Security Council... strongly condemned the heinous and cowardly act," a statement read.

Yukawa's killing was announced in a video generally agreed to be credible, and appeared to mark a grave turn of events in a crisis that has gripped Japan for nearly a week.

"This crime is, yet again, a tragic reminder of the increasing dangers people face every day in Syria, including journalists," the Security Council said.

"It also once again demonstrates the brutality of (the IS group), which is responsible for thousands of abuses against the Syrian and Iraqi people."

Further, the Security Council "underlined the need to bring perpetrators of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice."

The 15 countries demanded the immediate release of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto and all hostages still being held by the IS group, the "Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaeda."

IS "must be defeated and... the intolerance, violence and hatred it espouses must be stamped out," the council members added.