Afghan President Hamid Karzai renewed his calls for calm and asked the United States to punish those responsible for burning Korans inside a military base.

“Our people's emotion in this regard is legitimate and respectable,” Karzai said in a televised address Sunday, February 26. But while we “share their sorrow, we should all try to keep calm.”

More than 30 people, including four U.S. soldiers, have been killed in violent protests sparked by the Koran-burning incident.

Karzai called the killing of the US soldiers “unfortunate” and “regretful,” M&C reported citing DPA.