KABUL, May 14 (SANA): Another three protestors were killed and several wounded as anti-US demonstrations snowballed in Afghanistan on Thursday, prompting foreigners to flee the violence-hit cities.
Thursday's killings in Khogyani district of Nangarhar and Chak in the central Maidan Wardak province drove up the two-day death toll to seven during violent protests triggered by alleged desecration of the Holy Quran by American investigators at their naval base in Cuba.
Pajhwok Afghan News correspondents based in the capital city, Jalalabad, Chak and Kunduz reported the protestors torched a police station, destroyed government buildings and attacked offices of aid agencies.
In Khogyani district, 33 km east of Jalalabad, and Chak district (Maidan Wardak), police opened fire at demonstrators, causing the casualties. Malik Tahir Khan, a tribal elder of Khogyani, said two people were killed and one injured in police firing.
But Nangarhar Governor Haji Din Mohammad, who denied any killing in the firing incident, said: "Two protestors were injured when police fired into air to disperse the mob. Employing peaceful means, we are trying to cope with the situation," he added.
In Kabul itself, some 500 university students marched in streets to condemn the act of sacrilege at the US jail in Guantanamo Bay and demand deterrent punishment for the accused. They set aflame a US flag while chanting "Death to American" and "Death to Bush."
Hundreds of people staged a demo in Batikot and Ghanikhel districts as well. They blocked the Jalalabad-Torkham Highway for a short time before being dispersed by riot police.
Speaking to Pajhwok, Governor Din Mohammad blamed the violence on saboteurs who played upon people's religious sentiments. "Nangarhar's people just wanted to hold a peaceful protest but some anti-Afghanistan elements provoked them into violence, causing a trail of destruction."
In the Chak district, eyewitnesses claimed, one student was killed while nine others were hurt in police firing. Syed Azam, a student at Hazrat Farooq High School, identified the victim as Hamidullah. Nine of his colleagues were injured.
But Interior Ministry spokesman Dad Mohammad Rasa was unaware of the killing. "We have sent a delegation to the area for investigations. At the moment, I have no information in this regard," he said.
The protesters slammed police for resorting to firing and causing bloodshed. "We were staging a peaceful demonstration but police started firing at us without any provocation," Mohammad Mohsin charged.
Students from three different universities coalesced in Kabul, where law-enforcement personnel had already taken stringent security measures, marched calmly to Karta-e-Sakhi Square and shouted anti-US slogans all along the way.
They demanded of the Karzai government to prevent US forces from frisking and arresting Afghans and drop plans for seeking long-term American military presence in Afghanistan.
Reports of peaceful protests were also received from two northern provinces - Kapisa and Takhar. Abdul Raqib, a student of Albeiruni University in Kapisa, said: "The rally started from the campus and culminated in Gulbahar Town. If the government doesn't meet our demand, we will kick up a storm of protests," he warned.
Some 1,000 people blocked the main road in Taluqan city for hours and asked the Afghan government to condemn in categorical terms the outrageous action of US investigators.
Offices of two international relief organizations were attacked and an aid worker injured. Paul Barker, director of CARE International whose office was damaged in Mohammed Agha district in Logar, believed the students were being instigated into destroying offices and buildings.