U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has appealed for calm and peace in the Middle East and North Africa region in the wake of calls for Friday after- prayer protests over a US-made film which hurt the sentiments of Muslims. In the Yemeni capital Sanaa, security forces shot dead four protesters while 34 others were injured as they tried to storm the US embassy.

In the Egyptian Capital Cairo, more than 200 persons were injured in the clashes between the riot police and the protesters near the US embassy. Muslim Brotherhood has given a call for peaceful protests after Friday prayers in Egypt while reports of angry outbursts are pouring in from the countries in the region.

Our West Asia correspondent reports that amid the protests against the Anti Islam film in the Middle East and North Africa region and a call for Friday after prayer protests, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has emphasized the need for dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.

Ban condemned the attacks and said the hateful film was a deliberate ploy to sow bigotry and bloodshed. The movie depicting Prophet Mohammed in bad light led to outburst of angry protests across the region and an attack which killed US Ambassador to Libya.

In Yemen four protesters were shot dead as the police opened fire to disperse a violent crowd trying to storm the US embassy in the capital Sanaa. In Egyptian capital Cairo, over 200 were injured in renewed clashes between the police and stone pelting protesters near the US embassy.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Salafist parties and others have planned a million-man march at Cairo’s Tahrir Square. In Kuwait, around 500 protesters gathered near the U.S. embassy in the capital waving a black Al-Qaeda flag in protest.

In Baghdad the protesters led by Shia Cleric Moqtada Al Sadr staged a march to denounced the film. Security has been beefed up in and around embassies to ward off the violent protests in the region .