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Anti-US Afghan protest leaves three suffering severe wounds
At least two people have been badly wounded in an anti-US protest involving thousands of Afghans, where police fired into the air to disperse the angry crowd, as theey chanted “Death to America”, “Death to Chistians” and “Death to (president Hamid) Karzai”.
The protests erupted three days before a parliamentary election; one which the Taliban have promised to disrupt. The protests follow a previous three days of protests over the US pastor’s plans to burn copies of the Koran, marking the September 11 anniversary.
Three people were killed in those protests, and observers raised concerns that the Taliban may try to exploit the Koran-burning protests.
A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the hardline Islamist group was aware of the protests but had no role in them.
The protesters gathered in the west of the capital, burning tyres and blocking a main highway link to the south.
Journalists were reportedly held metres away but witnesses at the scene saw two unconscious people, covered in blood, being carried away suffering what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
