UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned world leaders that efforts to fight terrorism can misfire if they don't respect fundamental rights, the Associated Press reports.

Ban told the Group of Seven meeting in Germany on Monday, June 8, that security measures and even military action may be necessary to combat violent extremists.

But he cautioned that "when counter-terrorism efforts ignore the rule of law and violate fundamental rights — which they do far too often — they not only betray the values they seek to uphold, but can also end up further fueling violent extremism."

Ban said targeting entire minorities increases bitterness, radicalism and extremism within those communities