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Afghans Continue Protests Against Threat to Burn Quran


Afghans continued protests Saturday against a U.S. pastor's threat to burn copies of the Quran.

The Associated Press reports protesters have set shops and police checkpoints on fire in eastern Logar province's capital, Puli Alam.

And Reuters news agency says several thousand people gathered in three district in northeastern Badakhshan province.

On Friday, thousands of Afghans across the country demonstrated their outrage at the preacher's insistence on burning Islam's holy book. At least eight people were wounded in the protests. The preacher has since called off Saturday's planned burning.

The obscure Florida pastor, Reverend Terry Jones, arrived in New York late Friday.

His plans have created an international firestorm and prompted leading political and religious figures to issue statements condemning the plans.

Top U.S. officials had warned the pastor that the Quran burning could provoke Islamist violence and put U.S. soldiers' lives in danger.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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