Protesters torch Swedish embassy in Baghdad over 'planned Holy Quran burning' in Stockholm

Protesters set fire to Sweden's embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, early Thursday, an AFP journalist said, ahead of a planned burning of a Quran in Sweden.

Swedish authorities approved an assembly to be held later Thursday outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where organisers plan to burn a copy of the Quran as well as an Iraqi flag.

Iraqis have been angered by events in Sweden, and Thursday's protest in Baghdad was organised by supporters of the religious leader, Moqtada Sadr.

Some protesters raised copies of the Quran into the air, while others held portraits of Mohamed al-Sadr, an important religious cleric and the father of Moqtada Sadr.

"We are mobilised today to denounce the burning of the Quran, which is all about love and faith," protester Hassan Ahmed told AFP. "We demand that the Swedish government and the Iraqi government stop this type of initiative."

"We didn't wait until morning, we broke in at dawn and set fire to the Swedish embassy," a young demonstrator in Baghdad told AFP on Thursday, before chanting Moqtada's name.

Sweden's foreign ministry told AFP its embassy staff in Baghdad were "safe" following the incident.

"The Iraqi authorities are responsible for the protection of diplomatic missions and their staff", the ministry said, adding that attacks on embassies and diplomats "constitute a serious violation of the Vienna Convention".

Several trucks had arrived at the embassy to extinguish the fire, where skirmishes between Iraqi security forces and demonstrators had broken out, an AFP photographer said.

It was not immediately clear whether the embassy was empty at the time of the attack or if staff had been evacuated.

Iraq's foreign ministry condemned the embassy torching and called on security forces to identify those responsible.

• Sweden government condemns 'Islamophobic' act: Ministry