Thousands of protesters broke into a UN office in the Afghan capital of Kabul and marched on the streets to protest against the UN sanctions against Afghanistan on November 14.

The protesters swarmed into Kabul's streets burning US flags and shouting anti-American slogans. The demonstration started within hours of the UN sanctions taking effect, reports reaching here from Kabul said.

Taliban soldiers fired automatic rifles in the air in a bid to stop the protesters from storming the UN office building, the reports quoted witnesses as saying.

The Taliban also tried to prevent the protesters from reaching the US embassy, but after 10 minutes the crowd marched forward.

The demonstrators were chanting slogans "Osama is a great Muslim," "Death to America," said the reports.

The UN Security Council passed a US-proposed resolution on October 15, giving the Taliban one month to hand over the alleged terrorist, Osama bin Laden. Otherwise, financial sanctions will be imposed against the Taliban.

The Taliban, however, have rejected the UN resolution, saying the UN action is "unfair." The Taliban also said that "these sanctions will hurt only the Afghan people who have already been plunged into plenty of problems."

The UN sanctions started last night for the Taliban failed to hand over Osama who is reported to be living in Taliban-controlled area within 30 days.

Sources in Kabul said that there was no immediate noticeable change, although the state-run Ariana Airways was now banned from flying outside the war-torn country.

A senior Taliban spokesman said Sunday in Kandahar, the Taliban headquarters, that the UN sanctions would have little impact on the Afghans.

"The 20-year war has ruined Afghanistan and we do not have official trade with foreign world," he was quoted as saying.