Anti-US protest staged

Hundreds of Afghans staged a protest against the US yesterday, saying US troops had thrown a copy of the Koran during an operation in the southeast, a police officer said.

A US-led coalition spokesman said he had no knowledge of the reported desecration in Paktika province, but added investigators found no truth to a similar allegation against soldiers in eastern Kunar province last week.

The protests come as anti-US sentiments are running high in parts of Afghanistan following the deaths of more than 370 civilians this year during operations by Western troops stationed in the country.

(China Daily 10/18/2007 page10)