UNITED NATIONS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned the kidnapping and killing of three media workers last week and the subsequent kidnapping of two other Ecuadorian nationals in the Ecuador-Colombia border region.

The UN chief expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, and his sympathy and solidarity to the government and people of Ecuador, said Farhan Haq, Guterres' deputy spokesman, in a statement.

These acts highlight the threats posed by criminal groups operating on the border between Ecuador and Colombia. In this regard, the secretary-general welcomed the close cooperation between the two countries to address this common threat, said the statement.

The secretary-general reiterated the world body's availability to support the two governments in the areas deemed necessary, it said.