At least ten people have been killed in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on a second day of violent protests over the burning of a Koran by a US pastor.
A suicide attack also hit a NATO military base in the capital, Kabul, the day after protestors over-ran a UN mission in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Seven foreign UN staff were killed in yesterday's attack, which was the deadliest attack on the UN in Afghanistan.
Yesterday's attack and today's protests were sparked by the actions of Christian preacher Terry Jones, who supervised the burning of the Koran in front of about 50 people in Florida on 20 March.
The spokesman for the Kandahar governor, Zalmay Ayoubi, said at least nine people have been killed and over 70 injured in the violence today.
Abdul Qayum Pukhla, the senior health official for the province, said some of the dead showed signs they had been beaten and hit with stones.
A group of around 150 men who had taken to the streets to denounce Koran burning set tyres alight, smashed up shops and attacked an Afghan photographer, Reuters' witnesses said.
The reporter was hit over the head and had his camera taken from him and smashed by protestors who discussed killing him.
Police kept other journalists from approaching the crowd, which was shouting slogans including 'death to America'.
The spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province said the protest was organised by the Taliban. He said they used the Koran burning as an excuse to incite violence in the city.
In Kabul, a small group of insurgents attacked a coalition base, although they caused only light injuries to three soldiers, police and NATO-led troops said.
The Taliban said it had no role in yesterday’s attack despite claims by the provincial governor and a senior UN official.
'The Taliban had nothing to do with this, it was a pure act of responsible Muslims,' spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said by phone from an undisclosed location.
'The foreigners brought the wrath of the Afghans on themselves by burning the Koran.'
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack on the UN base yesterday.
Mr Ban said: 'This was an outrageous and cowardly attack against UN staff, which cannot be justified under any circumstances and I condemn in the strongest possible terms.'
