Mob kills 8 U.N. workers in Afghanistan

A mob inflamed by a mosque sermon describing the burning of the Muslim holy book by an American pastor attacked a United Nations compound in a northern Afghan city on Friday, killing at least eight foreign staffers, according to Afghan police.

A spokesman for the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, Dan McNorton, confirmed that there had been deaths of U.N. personnel in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, but said he did not have further details.

Sherjan Durrani, a spokesman for the provincial police, identified the dead as guards at the U.N. compound who were believed to be from the Philippines. However, some Afghan news reports said the dead included guards who were overpowered in the attack as well as other U.N. workers who were inside the compound at the time.To read more LAT