KABUL, May 24: International peacekeeping troops were hurt by stone-throwing protesters as a demonstration against the killing of four Afghan soldiers by US embassy guards turned violent on Saturday, witnesses said.

At least two soldiers of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were bleeding from head and hand wounds after their vehicle was pelted by stone-throwing demonstrators near the Great Masood Road roundabout close to the US embassy in Kabul.

One of the ISAF vehicles escaped with broken windows while another collided with a taxi and was stoned before it too escaped the mob. One of the soldiers inside was bleeding from a head wound while another had a bloody hand.

Dozens of armed Afghan police and soldiers made little effort to restrain the hundred or so demonstrators who were mainly teenage boys and young men.

Plain clothes Afghan security men carrying walkie-talkies followed the demonstration, while Turkish and Italian ISAF troops patrolled past the demonstrators in armoured cars.

The protesters earlier marched past the US embassy under a banner reading: “We want to judge the killers of the martyrs”, referring to the US troops who shot dead four Afghan soldiers outside the embassy on Wednesday.

Chanting “Death to America”, “Death to Karzai” and “Death to Bush”, they briefly halted by the main gate and pelted the heavily fortified embassy with stones.

US troops guarding the compound observed from watchtowers and through the main gate, but did not react.—AFP