US President Barack Obama condemned "in the strongest terms" Tuesday's "outrageous and shocking attack" on the US mission in Benghazi which killed four embassy staff, in a press conference at the White House, Wednesday.

Speaking from the Rose Garden at the president's official residence, Obama paid tribute to US Ambassador Chris Stevens, information management officer Sean Smith and two unnamed officials, all of whom died during the attacks.

He added that Tuesday night's events were additionally sad given that they took place "in the city which [Stevens] helped to save",making reference to the US ambassador's previous roll as envoy to Libya's National Transitional Council duringthe 2011 uprising which saw the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

Stevens worked "tirelessly" to support the Libyan revolutionaries in their efforts to build a new democracy, the US president added.

"Make no mistake. We will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people," Obama commented, affirming that the killings would not affect US-Libya ties.

The attacks, which resulted in the deaths of the embassy personnel, were allegedly initiated by protesters angry over a low-budget anti-Islam film that was produced in the US ridiculing the Prophet Mohamed.

These deadly attacks followed similar protests outside the US embassy in Cairo, where thousands converged to protest against anti-Islam sentiment.

Stevens is the first US ambassador to be killed while on duty since 1979, when Ambassador Adolph Dubs died during a botched kidnapping attempt in Afghanistan.

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