Pakistani Islamists protest in Lahore on Feb. 22. At least 5 people are dead after protests broke into riots over the burning of the Koran. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)

At least five people were killed and more injured in Afghanistan after protests descended into riots over the burning of the Koran at a U.S. military base, say media reports.

Police shot and killed several demonstrators during clashes in several parts of the country, including the capital, Kabul, reported local Tolo News. On Tuesday, demonstrators threw Molotov cocktails and fired slingshots at Bagram Airbase.

Several members of the Afghan Parliament on Wednesday said those who burned the Koran should be brought to justice. “We strongly condemn the action which is an insult to more than 2 billion Muslims in the world. Those responsible for the incident must be brought to justice,” said Abdul Qayoun Sajjadi, a representative of Ghazni province, according to Tolo.

On Tuesday, several U.S. officials, including Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, apologized for “the improper disposal of Islamic religious materials” at the airbase. The books had been incinerated. 

Department of Defense Secretary, Leon E. Panetta called it a “deeply unfortunate incident” in a statement, and said his department would launch an investigation into the matter.

“These actions do not represent the views of the United States military. We honor and respect the religious practices of the Afghan people, without exception,” Panetta said.

“When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them. The materials recovered will be properly handled by appropriate religious authorities,” added Panetta