KABUL - A crowd of about 1,000 Afghans burned an effigy of U.S. President Barack Obama in Kabul Sunday, over allegations that Western troops burned a copy of the Muslim holy book, the Koran.
  
Afghan police fired shots in the air to try to disperse the crowd of mostly students who chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Jews.”

The crowd made its way to the parliament building in the Afghan capital, where they hurled stones at riot police.

U.S. and Afghan authorities deny foreign troops burned a copy of the Koran earlier this month during an operation in Wardak province.

U.S. officials say the Taliban is spreading the false rumor to stir trouble. 

Also Sunday, NATO said Afghan and international forces killed several militants in Ghazni province Saturday while searching for a Taliban commander.

Separately, international forces said a U.S. soldier was killed Saturday by an bomb blast in southern Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Taliban insurgents are threatening to target Afghans who vote in the presidential run-off election scheduled for November 7. 

Taliban spokesmen are denouncing the election as an “American process,” and are vowing to disrupt it. 

Campaigning began Saturday for the second-round election between incumbent President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah.

Source:  VOA News