UNITED NATIONS, March 2 (Xinhuanet) -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the UN Security Council condemned Tuesday deadly terrorist attacks against Shiite Muslims in two Iraqi cities and Pakistan.

    The UN chief "condemns in the strongest possible terms today's terrorist attacks in Karbala and Baghdad," his spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters. "He is particularly appalled that these incidents took place in and around Muslim shrines during the holy occasion of Ashura."

    Apparently-coordinated suicide bombs exploded in huge crowds ofShiite worshipers on Tuesday in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and Kerbala, southern Iraq, killing at least 143 people.

    Annan "urges all Iraqis to refrain from acts that could undermine efforts to achieve national reconciliation at this delicate stage of the country's political situation," Eckhard said.

    In a separate statement, President of the Security Council for March Jean Marc de La Sabliere of France also expressed outrage against the attacks in Iraq, saying exacerbating tensions between Iraq's religious communities is "the sole and deliberate purpose" of the attackers.

    Eckhard said Annan was also appalled by attacks on an Ashura procession in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

    Asked whether the Iraq bombings could be part of a plot to pit Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims against each other, Eckhard said that "we would like to think ... that the attacks are politically motivated and not based on religion, or not solely based on religion." Enditem¡¡