The World Evangelical Alliance has hit out at the violence being perpetrated across the Middle East by Muslims angry over a video defaming Islam.

On Thursday, protesters stormed the US Embassy compound in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, days after the US Ambassador to Libya was killed in a similar attack. There have also been clashes outside the embassy in Cairo, in which dozens were injured and the US flag burned.

“The WEA is convinced that there can never be any justification for such violence,” the WEA said in a statement.

“In this case it has cost the life of diplomatic personnel – and the WEA sees the diplomatic community as crucial to the task of building mutual understanding in international relationships.”

The anti-Islamic film, Innocence of Muslims, ridicules Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. A trailer was posted online by someone using the pseudonym “sambacile” but questions remain over the identity of the director.

According to the BBC, the offensive comments about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad had been dubbed onto the soundtrack and not spoken by the actors.

The WEA condemned the film as “primitive”, “defamatory” and “insulting”.

Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, Secretary General of the WEA, said: "We completely denounce the practice of Insulting and slandering adherents of other religions or their founders. Such inflammatory statements invariably arouse suspicion and confusion.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Christian brothers and sisters in those countries with Muslim majority populations in condemning both the video and the violence that has followed its publication."

The WEA called upon Christians and Muslims to press for calm and “build mechanisms for peaceful co-existence”.