At least 10 foreign employees of the UN in Afghanistan were killed on Friday in an attack by protesters, dissatisfied by the burning of Koran in the US, police announced quoted by AFP. The UN spokesperson at Kabul Don McNorton said quoted by AFP that he knows of a fire that broke at the UN HQ at Mazar I Sharif and that they are still investigating.

UPDATEThere were 11 people killed, general Mohammad Daud Daud declared for AFP of which three UN foreign employees, 5 security guards and 3 protesters.

National police forces commander Daud Daud said that five UN guards and another two foreign employees were killed and another one seriously injured. A spokesperson of the Balkh province explained that initially protesters were peaceful and the reason for their turning violent is unknown.

American pastor Terry Jones burnt on March 21st a copy of the Koran following a process which declared that holy Muslim book guilty and was therefore executed. The project stirred up a huge international scandal. The event was followed by condemnations of tens of chiefs of state and of Pope Benedict of XVI and was catalogued as a gross provocation.

However, on March 21st, after declaring that the Muslim people did not defend their holy book, the pastor burnt the Koran in Florida.

Romanian, Norwegian and Swedish citizens were among the UN employees killed today, a police source said quoted by Reuters. Two of the victims were decapitated.

7 PM Afghan insurgents used the protest as a pretext to attack the UN, the province governor declared quoted by UN

7:07 PM At least 7 UN employees were killed. 5 Afghan protesters were also killed and another 20 injured in the violence.

7:30 PM Romania’s Foreign Affairs ministry contacted local Afghan authorities in Mazar I Sharif to check the hypothesis that there are Romanian citizens among the victims in the attack against the UN office. The information was not confirmed so far.

8 PM Seven UN employees were killed, the province’s gubernator Noor Mohamad Atta declared quoted by AFP.

8:10 PM A Romanian citizen might be one of the victims of the attack, Romania’s Foreign Affairs ministry spokesperson Doris Mircea said.

8:25 PM The death toll might be higher than 20, a UN official announced quoted by Reuters.

8:28 PM The Romanian citizen that apparently died in Afghanistan is a civil employee of UN, official sources declared quoted by Romanian news agency Mediafax. Details about the identity of the person will be made after the family is announced.

8:35 PM A Norwegian officer was also confirmed as a victim in the attack, AFP informs.

9:38 PM The Romanian citizen was decapitated is an international officer of the UN, official sources declared quoted by Romanian news agency Agerpres. The Romanian has been working in Afghanistan for two years. Of 2,000 UN employees in Afghanistan, 80% are Afghan citizens and the rest foreign citizens. Of these, about 20 to 30 are Romanian. Most are employed as security agents through private companies.

9:50 PM UN spokesperson confirmed that 3 international UN officers and 4 UN guards were killed, Reuters reports.