A mob inflamed by a mosque sermon describing the burning of the Muslim holy book by an American pastor attacked a U.N. compound in a northern Afghan city on Friday, killing at least eight foreign staffers, according to Afghan police.
A spokesman for the U.N. mission in
Sherjan Durrani, a spokesman for the provincial police, identified the dead as guards at the U.N. compound who were believed to be from
Durrani said four rioters had also been killed and that more than 100 others were injured in the outbreak of violence in the northern city, normally one of the calmer corners of
The rioting erupted after mosque preachers at Friday prayers — the most important of the Muslim week — sermonized against the burning of the Quran by an American evangelical pastor in
The
But reports of the March incident, in which church members held a mock trial of the Quran and condemned it as inciting murder before soaking a copy in kerosene and burning it, were circulated on the Internet, igniting anger half a world away.
After the Friday service in
Durrani said order was restored and that about two dozen people had been arrested for taking part in the attack.
The attack was quickly condemned by President
“”The brave men and women of the United Nations, including the Afghan staff, undertake their work in support of the Afghan people. Their work is essential to building a stronger
McNorton, the U.N. spokesman, said the head of the world body’s mission in
“”The situation is still confusing, and we are currently working to ascertain all the facts and take care of all our staff,”” he said.
Friday’s violence was the worst attack against U.N. staffers in
Hundreds of people also took part in an anti-Quran-burning protest Friday in