Hundreds of Afghans in anti-US protests

KABUL: Hundreds of Afghans took part in anti-US protests in four different provinces on Saturday, authorities said, in a fifth day of demonstrations over the burning of Qurans that have killed 24 people.

Rallies were being held in the eastern provinces of Logar and Nangarhar, and the central province of Sari Pul, government and local police sources said, adding that those gatherings were largely peaceful so far.

But a demonstrator in Mihtarlam, in northeastern Laghman province, named only as Abdullah, who put the crowd there at "around 2,000", said: "The protesters turned violent and were throwing stones at the governor's palace.

"Gunshots were fired by the security forces."

No local officials could immediately be reached to confirm his account.

In Sari Pul, demonstrator Mohammad Sadiq said "around 5,000" people had gathered at the Pul-e-Khishti mosque. "They condemned the holy Quran burning," he said. "It is not violent yet."

Authorities were not immediately able to confirm the size of the crowd.

In Logar, a police source said: "Around 200 people, mostly university students have taken to the streets in Muhammad Agha district.

"They have closed the Kabul-Logar highway, and are chanting 'Death to America' and 'Death to Karzai'."

It was the fifth day of anti-US protests in Afghanistan over the burning of Qurans at the US airbase of Bagram, near Kabul, and 24 people had been killed by Friday. (AFP)