Afghans Protest Burning of the Holy Quran
Local Editor
Dozens of people have turned up for angry demonstrations in Afghanistan after US-led forces in the war-wracked country burned copies of the Holy Qur'an.
The angry protesters on Tuesday held protest rallies in Kabul as well as outside the US Bagram Airbase and chanted anti-US slogans, demanding the trial of the perpetrators of the desecrating act.
At least one Afghan protester was injured after US troops opened fire to disperse the angry demonstrators near the airbase, about 60 kilometers north of Kabul.
The protests came after reports emerged saying that foreign troops had burned "a large number of Islamic religious materials which included Qur'ans" at the Bagram Airbase.
Mohammad Nabi, a protester who said he was an employee at the base, told reporters that US troops killed two Afghan employees and fired five more after they protested the burning of the copies of the Holy Qur'an inside the military base. Meanwhile, similar protests were held in other parts of the capital and several other Afghan cities, reported Press TV.
The US commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan in a statement apologized over the "insulting" move and ordered a full investigation into the incident.
"When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them," said General John R. Allen.
In April 2011, at least ten people were killed and several others injured in successive days of protests in Afghanistan over the burning of the Holy Qur'an in the US.
Dozens of people have turned up for angry demonstrations in Afghanistan after US-led forces in the war-wracked country burned copies of the Holy Qur'an.
The angry protesters on Tuesday held protest rallies in Kabul as well as outside the US Bagram Airbase and chanted anti-US slogans, demanding the trial of the perpetrators of the desecrating act.
At least one Afghan protester was injured after US troops opened fire to disperse the angry demonstrators near the airbase, about 60 kilometers north of Kabul. The protests came after reports emerged saying that foreign troops had burned "a large number of Islamic religious materials which included Qur'ans" at the Bagram Airbase.
Mohammad Nabi, a protester who said he was an employee at the base, told reporters that US troops killed two Afghan employees and fired five more after they protested the burning of the copies of the Holy Qur'an inside the military base. Meanwhile, similar protests were held in other parts of the capital and several other Afghan cities, reported Press TV.
The US commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan in a statement apologized over the "insulting" move and ordered a full investigation into the incident.
"When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them," said General John R. Allen.
In April 2011, at least ten people were killed and several others injured in successive days of protests in Afghanistan over the burning of the Holy Qur'an in the US.
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