Protest over Quran burning resumes in Afghanistan
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, February 22, 2012
At least eight people were injured on Wednesday when thousands of Afghan people staged protest demonstration for the second day over a report that foreign soldiers improperly disposed and burned copies of the Muslim holy book Koran.
 |
|
Thousands of Afghan people staged protest demonstration for the second day over a report that foreign soldiers improperly disposed and burned copies of the Muslim holy book Koran. |
Protest demonstration held Wednesday morning in capital city of Kabul and Jalalabad, the capital city of eastern Nangarhar province.
At least five demonstrators were injured in Hodkhil neighborhood in eastern part of Kabul city as seen by Xinhua reporter.
The demonstrators in Hodkhil blocked the main road leading to Jalalabad and demanded the punishment of those responsible for the alleged burning of the Muslim Holy book Koran.
At least three more people were injured when police stopped angry protesters to enter the provincial governor office in Jalalabad city, a police officer told Xinhua.
Local TV footage shows thousands of demonstrators in Hodkhil neighborhood in eastern part of Kabul burning tires and chanting anti-U.S. slogans.
Over 1,000 of people gathered outside the Bagram base on Tuesday and alleged the U.S. and NATO military had burned Quran inside Bagram detention center where hundreds of suspected Taliban and al-Qaida operatives have been held.
Bagram airbase 50 km north of Afghan capital Kabul is the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan.
However, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan General John R. Allen has rendered his apology for the alleged burning of Muslim holy book Quran and ordered an investigation into the incident.
"I have ordered an investigation into a report I received during the night that ISAF personnel at Bagram Airbase improperly disposed of a large number of Islamic religious materials which included Korans," the U.S. General said in a statement on Tuesday.
