Thousands of Afghans have taken part in a second day of protests against the reprinting of a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers and a Dutch film that reportedly criticises the Quran.

Demonstrators in the eastern city of Jalalabad burned flags and demanded that the cartoonist and the politician making the film be punished.

"We want the government of Denmark and Holland to arrest and bring to justice all those who are insulting Islam," one of the organisers of Sunday's protest said.

The protest came a day after about 5,000 people marched in the western city of Herat, chanting "Death to Holland, death to Denmark".

On Tuesday, in the capital Kabul, about 200 politicians shouted "Death to the enemies of Islam" outside the country's parliament.

Troops call

Some protesters in Jalalabad called on the Kabul government to sever ties with Denmark and the Netherlands, while others demanded troops from the two countries leave Afghanistan.

"If these forces do not leave, we are prepared to carry out suicide attacks against them" Qari Ibrahim, protester

"We don't want Dutch and Danish forces in Afghanistan. If our government does not kick them out, we will continue our demonstrations until they leave Afghanistan," Qari Ibrahim, a university student, said.

"If these forces do not leave, we are prepared to carry out suicide attacks against them."

The Netherlands has about 1,500 troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of a Nato-led mission, while Denmark has more than 600 personnel.

The Taliban has branded the planned film and reprinting of the cartoon as part of a "crusader war" against Muslims.

The film is expected to be released later this month. Geert Wilders, the Dutch right-wing politician who is making it, has revealed few details about it but has previously called the Quran a "fascist book" that "incites violence".

The first printing in 2006 of the Danish cartoon, which depicts the Prophet in a turban shaped like a bomb, caused days of protests across the world.

In Afghanistan, 11 people were killed during those demonstrations.