Afghan official: Five die in Quran burning protest

Zalmai Ayubi, spokesman for the provincial governor of Kandahar, says 46 others were wounded when the crowd of hundreds of protesters turned violent on Saturday. He says the protesters tried to burn some vehicles and shops.

An Afghan policeman walks past by a burnt vehicle at the compound of U.N.'s office, which was put on fire on Friday during a demonstration to condemn the burning of a copy of the Muslim holy book by a U.S. Florida pastor, in Mazar-i- Sharif north of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: AP.

At least five Afghan civilians have been killed in southern Afghanistan during a protest against a Florida church’s burning of the Muslim holy book.

Zalmai Ayubi, spokesman for the provincial governor of Kandahar, says 46 others were wounded when the crowd of hundreds of protesters turned violent on Saturday. He says the protesters tried to burn some vehicles and shops.

It’s unclear who killed and injured the protesters, but some were shot.

An AP photographer covering the protest estimated the crowd at a few thousand and says the demonstrators turned violent and smashed his camera.

On Friday, Afghans protesting the Quran burning stormed a U.N. compound in Mazar—i—Sharif, leaving seven foreigners dead.