Afghan Koran burning protests: Toll 10

Protesters in Kandahar carried white Taliban flags and shouted slogans including “long live the Taliban” and “death to America.” They smashed shops,burned tires and vandalised a girls’ high school. Two of the dead were reportedly Afghan policemen.

The attacks were driven by anger at the actions of extremist Christian preacher Terry Jones,who supervised the burning of the Koran in front of about 50 people at a church in Florida on March 20,according to his website.

The burning initially passed almost unnoticed in Afghanistan,but after criticism from President Hamid Karzai,and calls for justice during Friday sermons,thousands poured into the streets to denounce Jones this weekend.

The Taliban denied any role in the Mazar attack or Kandahar protests and analysts warned against underestimating the depth of anti-Western sentiment in Afghanistan,after years of military presence and civilian casualties.

The attack took many in the city by surprise. Some were horrified by the extreme violence but not all had sympathy for the foreign dead.

“I don’t feel sorry for UN workers killed,our people are slaughtered by foreigners everyday,” said shopkeeper Rahim Mohammad.