At least two people were killed
and 29 others were wounded on Friday when police fought hundreds of protesters
who ransacked the U.S. embassy in Tunisia in their fury over a film denigrating
the Prophet Mohammad, state television said.
Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki
condemned what he called "an attack against the embassy of a friendly
nation".
Tunisia expects Washington to guarantee
around a fifth of the $2.2-2.5 billion its needs to borrow next year to help
its economy recover after its revolution last year overthrew its veteran leader
and triggered the Arab Spring uprisings.
A Tunisian security officer near the
compound said the embassy had not been staffed on Friday, and calls to the
embassy went unanswered. A Reuters reporter saw two armed U.S. soldiers on the
roof.
Health Minister Khalil Zaouia told state
media at least two people died and 29 were injured, revising down an earlier
toll from state television which said three died and 28 had been wounded.
The protesters, many of whom were Islamic
Salafists, also set fire to the nearby American School, which was closed at the
time, and took away laptops and tablet computers.
The protests began after Friday prayers and
followed a rallying call on Facebook by Islamist activists that was quickly
endorsed by the local faction of the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia.
REUTERS