U.S. probes alleged Quran burning in Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan - The commander of international troops in Afghanistan has ordered an investigation into what NATO says was improper disposal of a large number of Islamic religious materials, including Qurans. U.S. Gen. John Allen insists the incident at Bagram Air Field was not intentional. He apologized profusely for it in a statement released Tuesday morning. We are thoroughly investigating the incident and we are taking steps to ensure this does not ever happen again. I assure you ... I promise you ... this was NOT intentional in any way," read the statement sent to CBS News and other media outlets. I offer my sincere apologies for any offense this may have caused, to the President of Afghanistan, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and most importantly, to the noble people of Afghanistan. Allen went on to thank "local Afghan people" who he said brought the incorrect action to the attention of military commanders. CBS News Kabul bureau chief Fazul Rahim says reports suggest as many as 2,000 local Afghans had gathered outside the base to protest against the destruction of materials, including the Muslim holy book, which is highly offensive to the Afghan people. Rahim says there are claims that protesters hurling Molotov cocktails had set an entrance gate into the sprawling U.S. base alight. While the statement from Allen did not make it clear exactly how the materials were improperly disposed of, the angry crowd gathered outside Bagram was denouncing the apparent burning of Qurans. Allen says that when the American-led coalition learned of the actions, it intervened and stopped it. He says some materials were recovered and would be handled by religious authorities. U.S. and NATO military officials will be keen to avoid an eruption of anger in Afghanistan along the lines of violent protests and riots which followed the burning of a Quran last year by a pastor in Florida. That event, organized by Pastor Terry Jones and dubbed "Burn a Quran Day," sparked protests against a U.N. office in Mazar-I-Sharif and elsewhere in Afghanistan which turned deadly.