Angry Muslims murder UN staff in Afghanistan

Afghan protesters angered by the burning of a Koran by an obscure US pastor killed up to 20 UN staff, beheading two foreigners, when they over-ran a compound in a normally peaceful northern city on Friday in the worst ever attack on the UN in Afghanistan.

At least eight foreigners were among the dead after attackers took out security guards, burned parts of the compound and climbed up blast walls to topple a guard tower, said Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai, a police spokesman for the northern region.

Five protesters were also killed and around 20 wounded.

The governor of Balkh province said insurgents had used the march as cover to attack the compound, in a battle that raged for several hours and raises serious questions about plans to make the city a pilot for security transfer to national forces.

"The insurgents have taken advantage of the situation to attack the UN compound," said Governor Ata Mohammad Noor.

He told a news conference that many in the crowd of protesters had been carrying guns. Some 27 people have already been detained over the attack, he added.

Obama condemns attack

A United Nations spokesman confirmed employees had been killed but declined to comment on numbers of dead or their nationalities. He said the attack would not push the United Nations out of Afghanistan.

"We need to secure our colleagues in Mazar-i-Sharif. It's not a question of us pulling out. The UN is here to stay," said spokesman Kieran Dwyer.

The Russian chief of the mission in the city, Pavel Yershov, was injured in the attack but is now in hospital, Russian state television said, quoting an embassy spokesman.

Russia called on the Afghan government and international forces to "take all necessary measures" to protect UN workers in a statement issued by the foreign ministry after the attack.

The United States strongly condemned the, saying there was no justification for the murder of innocent people.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan today," US President Barack Obama said in a statement. "Their work is essential to building a stronger Afghanistan for the benefit of all its citizens. We stress the importance of calm and urge all parties to reject violence."

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