Two Afghans have been killed and seven US soldiers wounded in a grenade attack in Afghanistan just hours after the nation's president appealed for calm over the burning of Korans at a US military base.
Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed there had been an explosion outside one of its bases in northern Afghanistan.
A Kunduz police spokesman said: "The demonstrators hurled a hand grenade at US special forces base in Imam Sahib city of Kunduz province, as a result seven US special forces were wounded."
As the violent protests continued for a sixth day it is being reported that both France and Germany are temporarily withdrawing all civilian mentors and advisors from Afghan government ministries.
Earlier on Sunday, in a televised address, President Hamid Karzai "condemned with the strongest words" the treatment of Islam's holy book and said the people who did it should be punished.
But he also called for an end to the violence saying: "Now that we have shown our feelings, it is time to be calm and peaceful."
Mr Karzai said he respected the feelings of Afghans incensed by the Koran burning , but called on them not to "let the enemies of Afghanistan misuse their feelings".
He continued: "The demonstrations unfortunately had casualties, some 29 persons were martyred and around 200 wounded.
"We have ordered the security forces to be careful and protect people's lives and property."
The burning of the Korans had sparked five days of violent protests.
The Afghan Taliban have called on Afghans to kill foreign troops in revenge for the Koran burning, and claimed to have been behind the shooting deaths of two US officers within the heavily-fortified interior ministry in Kabul on Saturday.
Saturday's killings led the commander of US-led Nato forces, General John Allen, to withdraw foreign advisers from government ministries.
Afghan authorities said they were searching for a 25-year-old Afghan police intelligence officer, Abdul Saboor, who was the main suspect behind the murders.
Saboor had access to the Command and Control Centre where the dead American officers were found.
Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has criticised President Barack Obama's earlier apology for the burnings by saying Afghanistan should apologise to the US for the deaths of soldiers.
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