Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The deadly protests in northern Afghanistan over a Quran burning spread to the country's war-torn southern region on Saturday, with provincial government officials reporting at least nine civilians dead and dozens injured. The violence struck the city of Kandahar when demonstrators took to the streets to protest the torching of Islam's most sacred book by a U.S. church. The unrest followed a demonstration on Friday in the northern town of Mazar-e Sharif, in which five demonstrators and seven U.N. employees were killed when an angry throng stormed the U.N. compound there. U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday extended condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in Mazar-e Sharif, but also decried the burning of the Quran.
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NEW: Obama remembers victims, decries burning of Quran
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Witnesses say the police shot protesters in Kandahar
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Florida pastor Terry Jones' church website says a copy of the Quran was burned
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The protest follows a deadly attack on a U.N. compound in Mazar-e Sharif
Kandahar
Kandahar
"Today the enemies of peace in Afghanistan killed and injured our people in @placeholder," said a statement from the office of the Kandahar governor.
Kandahar
Kandahar
"Today the enemies of peace in Afghanistan killed and injured our people in Kandahar," said a statement from the office of the @placeholder governor.
U.N.
U.N.
U.N.
Le Roy said it was not clear that the @placeholder was the target.
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U.N.
U.N.
"It happened to be the @placeholder because the U.N. is on the ground."