An Afghan woman was beaten to death and her body was set on fire by a mob in Kabul Thursday for allegedly burning a copy of the Koran, police officials said.

"A woman burned a copy of the Koran in the Shahi Doshamshira neighbourhood," the head of Kabul's criminal police General Farid Afzali told AFP.

The woman's body was then thrown into the Kabul River, Afzali added.

The police were trying to disperse the angry crowd of "thousands of people" who had gathered in the densely populated neighbourhood, he said.

Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi also confirmed the incident, saying a probe into the "very unfortunate" event was underway.

Photos of the attack were circulating on social media late Thursday.

In 2012, the revelation that copies of the Koran had been burnt at the US-run Bagram prison sparked five days of violent anti-US riots and attacks across the country, which killed 30 people.