Afghanistan: 12 expired in protest at UN office

KABUL, Afghanistan: Eight foreigners and four Afghans were expired demonstrators during a protest against the burning of a Quran turned violent.

Afghan officials say about 2,000 people gathered peacefully outside the UN headquarters in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, but some demonstrators seized weapons from UN guards and opened fire on police, then took to assault the building. The black smoke pouring from the building.

General Daud Daud, commander of the Afghan National Police in the north, Nepal said five guards were among the victims.

Spokesman of the Interior Ministry said four zemer Bashary demonstrators were also killed.

The theme of burning Koran stirred outrage among millions of Muslims and others around the world after a small American church in Florida has threatened to destroy the holy book last year. The pastor of Florida had declined, but allegedly lived with cooking last month, prompting protests in three Afghan cities.

Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman in the province of Balkh, said the protest in Mazar-i-Sharif began quietly when hundreds of protesters gathered outside the compound of the UN mission to denounce the destruction the Koran.

It turned violent when demonstrators seized weapons from UN guards and opened fire on police, then stormed the building, "he said. "I see smoke on the compound, he said.

General Daud Daud, commander of the Afghan National Police in several northern provinces, said that those killed included five Nepalese guards who worked for the UN and two other foreigners working in the complex.

He said another foreigner was injured. Later, Rawof Taj, deputy chief of police in the province of Balkh, said that the injured person had died.

Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the UN Mission in Afghanistan, confirmed that people working for the United Nations were killed in an attack against the operations center, but he could not provide details.