2010-09-13 08:24

An Afghan policeman watches over protestors shouting anti US slogans as they celebrate after learning that S. pastor Terry Jones dropped his plans to burn copies of the Quran, in Herat, western Afghanistan September 12, 2010. [Agencies]

Kabul -- Afghans protested violently for the third day on Sunday despite a US pastor giving up plans to burn copies of the Quran, with three other cases of desecration of the Muslim holy book likely to stoke their anger further.

Two protesters were shot and killed in eastern Logar province, a district official said, bringing to three the death toll in protests staged since Friday.

In Afghanistan, angry protesters chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Christians" before clashing with security forces in Logar, south of the capital.

Seven demonstrators were wounded, one seriously, when Afghan security forces opened fire to disperse hundreds of protesters marching to Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar, officials said.

Mohammad Rahim Amin, chief of Baraki Barak district just west of Pul-e-Alam, said two of the wounded died later in hospital.

The protesters threatened to attack foreign military bases. There are almost 150,000 foreign troops fighting a growing Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, where violence is at its worst since the hardline Islamists were ousted.

"The governor must give us an assurance that the church is not going to burn the Koran, otherwise we will attack foreign troop bases in our thousands," protester Mohammad Yahya said.

Major Patrick Seiber, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan's east, said ISAF was aware of more protests in Logar on Sunday, but put the crowd at about 100, some wielding sticks and throwing stones.

Reuters