Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
Afghans shout anti-American slogans during a protest in Kabul on Thursday.
By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services
Updated at 8:25 a.m. ET: KABUL, Afghanistan?-- Barack Obama has written a letter formally apologizing for the burning of copies of the Quran at a coalition military base in Afghanistan, the Afghan president's office said Thursday, amid reports that two American troops had been shot dead.
A man dressed as an Afghan government soldier killed the soldiers?and wounded four others during a protest about the burning of Islamic holy books that had been used by detainees held at the Bagram military base, a police officer and a provincial Afghan official told NBC News.
There have been violent protests every day since the news of the Quran desecrations emerged?on Tuesday in what has become a public relations disaster for foreign forces in Afghanistan.
A statement from President Hamid Karzai's office said the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan had delivered the letter from Obama Thursday.
Taliban to Afghans: Kill foreigners over Quran burnings
In the letter, which is quoted in the statement, the U.S. president expresses his "deep regret for the reported incident" and offers his "sincere apologies."
According to the statement, Obama wrote: "The error was inadvertent; I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible."
Riots triggered by the inadvertent Quran burning at a U.S. military base prompted the U.S. to lock down its embassy. NBC's Atia Abawi reports.
The deputy police of Khogayani district in Nangarhar province, Haji Mohammad Hassan, told NBC News Thursday that American soldiers had starting firing at protesters who were attacking their base.
He said that an Afghan soldier then turned his weapon on them, shooting six, killing two and injuring four.
PhotoBlog:?'Death to America!' Afghan anger over Quran burning intensifies
Hassan said the Afghan soldier escaped by joining the crowd of protesters, but a provincial official from Nangarhar province, who asked not to be named, said the shooter had been killed after the attack.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, NBC News reported.?
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a text message that they infiltrated the army with one of their fighters who?had shot and killed the Americans. Mujahid claims their fighter killed 10 Americans.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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