At least seven foreign United Nations staff and five Afghans were killed in Afghanistan on Friday after a demonstration against the alleged burning of Koran turned violent in the northern city of Mazar-e-sharif. Police spokesman Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai said that the foreigners, including a number of Nepalese security guards, were killed as the protesters attacked an office for the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan. Organisation's chief Alain Le Roy confirmed the deaths including four Nepali troops serving as guards and three UN civilians. Mirwais Rabeh, provincial director for the health department, said that five of the Afghan protesters were killed and 20 others were injured. Residents said that police forces sealed all roads in central Mazar as small arms fire raged for about three hours. After an emergency meeting late on Friday, the UN Security Council offered condolences to the families of the dead and condemned in the strongest terms the violent attack. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has condemned the attack terming it as an act of cowardice. The protest was held after a Florida preacher Terry Jones allegedly burnt a copy of the Koran last week. He had first planned to burn the Koran in September, but cancelled his plans after enormous pressure from world leaders.