United Nations, Jul 29 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the rise in the number of foreign terrorist fighters is a manifestation of the growing spread of violent extremism, which demands urgent international attention.

The UN chief made the statement in a video message on Tuesday to the Special Meeting of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee on foreign terrorist fighters, which opened here, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ban said though security measures and sometimes even military action may be necessary, "our response must always be based on human rights and the rule of law".

He added that counter-terrorism efforts that violate fundamental rights betray the values they seek to defend and can further fuel extremism.

"The meeting, hosted by the government of Spain, is expected to produce a set of strategies and techniques to guide member states in their efforts to address such threats," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.