海角大神

Protesters in聽Egypt听补苍诲听Libya attacked U.S. diplomatic missions on Tuesday, leading to the death of an American staffer at the consulate in the Libyan city of聽Benghazi聽after fierce clashes at the compound, a Libyan official said.

"One American staff member has died and a number have been injured in the clashes,"聽Abdel-Monem Al-Hurr, spokesman for聽Libya's Supreme Security Committee, said, adding he did not know the exact number of injured or what the cause of death was.

The violence in聽Benghazi聽followed protests in neighboring聽Egypt聽where protesters scaled the walls of the聽Cairo embassy聽and tore down the American flag and burned it during protests over what demonstrators said was a U.S. film that insulted the Prophet Mohammad.

On Tuesday,聽Egypt's prestigious聽Al-Azhar mosque聽and seat of Sunni learning condemned a symbolic "trial" of the Prophet organized by a U.S. group including聽Terry Jones, a 海角大神 pastor who triggered riots in聽Afghanistan聽in 2010 by threatening to burn the Koran.

Jones said that on Tuesday's anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the聽World Trade Center聽and the聽Pentagon, he had released a video promoting a film that portrayed the Prophet in a "satirical" manner. Many Muslims consider any depiction of the Prophet offensive.

Gunmen in聽Benghazi聽attacked the compound on Tuesday evening, clashing with Libyan security forces, officials said. "There is a connection between this attack and the protests that have been happening in聽Cairo," Hurr said.

The U.S. State Department did not refer to any deaths, but said in a statement: "We can confirm that our office in聽Benghazi, Libya, has been attacked by a group of militants. We are working with the Libyans now to secure the compound. We condemn in strongest terms this attack on our diplomatic mission."

Among about 2,000 protesters gathered in the Egyptian capital was聽Ismail Mahmoud, who, like others, did not name the film that angered him, but called on President Mohamed Mursi,聽Egypt's first civilian president and an Islamist, to take action.

"This movie must be banned immediately and an apology should be made," said the 19-year-old Mahmoud, a member of the "ultras" soccer supporters who played a big role in the uprising that brought down聽Hosni Mubarak聽last year.

Once the U.S. flag was hauled down in聽Cairo, some protesters tore it up and displayed bits to television cameras. Others burned the remnants outside the fortress-like embassy building in central聽Cairo. But some protesters objected to the flag burning.

Benghazi clashes聽

滨苍听叠别苍驳丑补锄颈, Reuters reporters on the scene could see looters raiding the empty聽U.S. consulate's compound, walking off with desks, chairs and washing machines.

Unknown gunmen were shooting at the buildings, while others threw handmade bombs into the compound, setting off small explosions. Small fires were burning around the compound.

Passersby entered the unsecured compound to take pictures with their聽mobile phones聽and watch the looting.

No security forces could be seen around the consulate and a previous blockade of the road leading to it had been dismantled.

"The Libyan security forces came under heavy fire and we were not prepared for the intensity of the attack," Hurr said.

In Washington, a U.S official who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "We have no reason to believe, at this time, that the聽Cairo聽protests and the attack in聽Benghazi聽are connected in motive."

Libya's interim government has struggled to impose its authority on a myriad of armed groups that have refused to lay down their weapons and often take the law into their own hands.

A number of security violations have rocked聽Benghazi, Libya's second biggest city and the cradle of last year's revolt that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.

The breaching of the聽U.S. Embassy聽walls in聽Cairo聽comes at a delicate time in U.S.-Egyptian relations, and as the United States appeared to be easing its caution over Mursi.

Last week, U.S. officials said they were close to a deal with聽Egypt's government聽for $1 billion in debt relief. Washington had also signaled its backing for a badly needed $4.8 billion loan that聽Egypt聽is seeking from the International Monetary Fund.

"I would urge you not to draw too many conclusions because we've also had some very positive developments in our relationship with聽Egypt," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"One of the things about the new聽Egypt聽is that protest is possible," she said. "Obviously we all want to see peaceful protest, which is not what happened outside the聽U.S. mission, so we're trying to restore calm now."

Washington has a large mission in聽Egypt, partly because of a huge aid program that followed聽Egypt's signing of a peace treaty with聽Israel聽in 1979. The聽United States聽gives $1.3 billion to聽Egypt's military聽each year and offers the nation other aid.

Following the protest,聽Egypt's Foreign Ministry聽said it was committed to giving all embassies the protection they needed.