Afghan Koran protesters killed by police

(AP)� Updated at 7:56 a.m. Eastern

KABUL, Afghanistan - Thousands of Afghan protesters were out on the streets in across the nation in new rallies over the burning of Korans at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.

Afghan officials tell CBS News at least four protesters were killed in clashes with police in the western city of Herat.

Several hundred people also rallied in the capital Kabul on Friday, but CBS News correspondent Mandy Clark reports the crowed stayed relatively peaceful, chanting "Death to America," and there were more police on hand than protesters.

Friday's protests were expected to be the worst this week, as thousands of Muslim men flood out of mosques for Friday prayers to join the demonstrations.

On Thursday, an Afghan soldier in Eastern Afghanistan opened fire on U.S. troops in apparent anger over the Koran burnings, killing two Americans and leaving four others wounded.

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Apologies by President Obama and Afghan and U.S. officials have failed so far to quiet the Afghan people's outrage over the incident. The U.S.-led military coalition says the Korans and other Islamic texts were sent to a garbage burn pit by mistake.

Afghan police in Khost, the provincial capital of Khost province, said an estimated 4,000 protesters were marching toward the governor's compound.

And in the eastern part of Nangarhar province, thousands were shouting "Death to America!" and burning a cardboard picture of Obama.

NATO's top military commander, meanwhile, said Friday that an investigation into the Koran burnings was pushing ahead, and he called on Afghans to be patient and exercise restraint.

U.S. Gen. John Allen's call came as Afghan security forces were put on high alert to deal with the expected demonstrations around the country after Friday prayers.

"Working together with the Afghan leadership is the only way for us to correct this major error and ensure that it never happens again," Allen said in a statement.

He called on everyone around Afghanistan "to exercise patience and restraint as we continue to gather the facts."

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsMain/~3/7erTGF1bUDw/

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