The rioters also chanted slogans against Afghan President Hamid Karzai and defaced a public portrait of him. Analysts said Kabul residents are dissatisfied with his leadership and the lack of public services in the capital, which might have been the true spark for the riots.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Karzai on Tuesday evening, asking about security and stability in Kabul, which was put under curfew overnight. Karzai assured him the city was secure, according to press statement from the president's office.
Figures have varied widely on casualties. The Afghan Ministry of Health reported that 20 people were killed and more than 160 wounded in the accident, alleged shootings by US troops and the subsequent rioting.
Afghan and US military officials said criminal elements had incited crowds around the city and were responsible for most of the rioting.
RSS