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9 killed, 81 injured in Quran burning protest in south Afghan city

02 April 2011 19:51 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least nine people were killed and over 80 others sustained injuries as thousands of people staged a protest in Kandahar city on Saturday to condemn the reported burning of Muslim holy book Quran in U.S. recently, a statement released by Kandahar’s provincial administration said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"In today’s demonstration in Kandahar city which turned to violence, nine people including a police officer were killed and 81 others sustained injuries," the statement asserted.

The victims, according to doctors in local hospitals, have received bullets and stone wounds as protestors hurled stone towards police and police opened fire to disperse the protestors.

It also blamed the vested interests for conspiracy, adding some elements with vicious designs availing opportunity set on fire public and private properties including shops and vehicles and turned the procession into violence.

Several classrooms of a girl school were also set ablaze during the demonstration, the statement further stated.

A priest of a Church in Florida of America, according to media reports, burned Muslim holy book Quran recently and the act has drawn condemnation.

Personnel of law enforcing agencies have arrested 16 people from among the demonstrators, seven of them armed with weapons, the statement of Kandahar’s provincial administration said.

A peaceful demonstration was also held in the Taliqan city, the capital of northeast Takhar province, on Saturday and the demonstrators after condemning the reported burning of Quran dispersed peacefully.

Such demonstrations in the capital city Kabul and western city Herat have been held and the demonstrators condemned the burning of Quran by the U.S. priest.

Thousands of protestors in a similar demonstration held in Afghanistan’s northern Mazar-e-Sharif city on Friday went violence and stormed UN compound during which 11 people including seven foreign staff of the world body had been killed while 23 others sustained injuries.