Foreign soldiers stationed in Afghanistan are to receive training in how to handle religious materials properly, a statement by the NATO-led international forces said, DPA reported.
The training would include the identification of religious materials, their significance, correct handling and storage, and be completed "no later than March 3," the statement said late Tuesday.
Demonstrations broke out Tuesday near the US military airbase at Bagram, north of Kabul, after foreign soldiers reportedly disposed of religious materials, including copies of the Koran, by burning them.
The troops suspected the texts were being used to carry extremist messages, a senior official said on condition of anonymity.
John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, confirmed some soldiers had "improperly disposed" of Islamic religious texts, and apologized for the incident, which he said was "not intentional in any way."
The incident was under investigation, he said.
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