The commander of the NATO-led troops in Afghanistan said Tuesday that some of his soldiers had "improperly disposed" of Islamic religious materials, including copies of the Koran, DPA reported.
"When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them," said US General John Allen, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
"The materials recovered will be properly handled by appropriate religious authorities," the statement said.
The incident took place late Monday at the Bagram military air base, a sprawling US compound north of Kabul.
Allen said he had ordered an investigation and that the incident was not intentional, without providing further details of the purpose of the soldiers' activities.
"We are thoroughly investigating the incident and we are taking steps to ensure this does not ever happen again," said.
An official at the airbase said dozens of Afghans protested in front of one of the control points inside the base. There was no hostility and the protest had been dispersed, the official said.
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