By IANS,
Kabul : Seven people were killed in Afghanistan in continuing clashes between Afghan security forces and protesters over the burning of the Quran by US soldiers, the Afghan interior ministry said Thursday.
The protests began Tuesday when agitated Afghans took to the streets Tuesday shortly after Afghan workers noticed US soldiers at the Bagram airbase dumping books, including four copies of the Quran, in a bin for burning garbage, RIA Novosti reported.
According to the interior ministry, four people were killed in the eastern Afghan province of Parwan, the others were killed near the Bagram base, in the city of Jalalabad and in Logar province.
The US military officials have apologised over the burning .
Earlier Thursday, US President Barack Obama sent an apology letter to Karzai, saying that the books were burnt by mistake.
“The error was inadvertent; I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible,” the letter stated.
The US apologies however did not console Afghans.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan said Thursday that two US soldiers were shot dead in a backlash near the Bagram base by “an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform.”
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack on US soldiers, NBC News said.