Afghanistan: Nine die in new anti-US violence

The protests and violence appear to be spreading with reports of disturbances coming from across the country.

Many demonstrations started after traditional Friday prayer meetings.

The protests started at a report that US guards at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba had desecrated the Koran.

'Angry crowd'

At least four policemen are reported to have been killed in Ghazni province, 150km south-west of the capital, Kabul, after police and Afghan army troops clashed with protesters.

The Ghazni police chief is reported to have been injured when shooting broke out. There are unconfirmed reports of several demonstrators being killed there too.

Another three people were killed in the north-eastern province of Badakhshan after police opened fire on what reports described as an angry crowd.

Security sources say one person was killed in the city of Gardez south-east of Kabul and another protester shot in the north-western town of Qal-e-now.

US forces are reported to have gone to the aid of a UN compound in Gardez when it was besieged by demonstrators.

In Kabul though, imams preaching to Friday worshippers called for calm, saying it was acceptable to demonstrate over the allegations of the Koran being abused but not to resort to violence.

Friday's deaths come after seven people were killed in protests on Wednesday and Thursday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4544833.stm