The German military said Friday it would move up the planned closure of a base in northern Afghanistan in response to deadly protests over the inadvertent burning of copies of the Koran by a U.S. soldier. The base would have been shuttered in March, but officials worried its security could not be maintained in the face of the demonstrations.

Germany's military announced Friday they have closed a base in Talokan in northern Afghanistan several weeks earlier than planned in response to deadly protests sparked after members of the NATO-led stability force burned copies of the Koran earlier this week at a U.S. military base. Originally, the German base had been slated for closure in March.

Eight people were killed in Afghanistan in violent protests on Thursday, including two ISAF soldiers and six demonstrators. The killing of the two soldiers marked an escalation in violence since the Koran-burning incident at the U.S. base at Bagram on Tuesday.

Speaking in London on Thursday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: "I deeply regret, that the protests over the Koran burning led to deaths again today in Afghanistan. I call on everyone to apply moderation, reserve and non-violence."

International diplomats fear mass protests could still develop. And although the northern region has been relatively calm in recent months, even there protests broke out over the Koran burnings. Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, reported that thousands of people protested in the area covered by Regional Command North, which is headed up by the Germans. The military reported that protests attracted between 100 and 2,000 people in different cities including Talokan, Maimana, Baglan and Faizabad.