10 protesters killed amid unrest in Iraq
30 Aug 2022 11:47am
Photo for illustration purposes only - 123RF Photo
More than 150 protesters were also injured in the unrest, the local Baghdad Today website said citing a security source.
Following the announcement of the deaths, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered an urgent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incidents in Baghdad.
According to a statement by the prime minister's media office, al-Kadhimi as commander-in-chief of the military ordered a ban on discharging firearms towards protesters.
The statement stressed that security forces were responsible for protecting the protesters and that any violations against al-Kadhimi's orders would be met with "legal accountability."
Al-Kadhimi also urged Iraqis to abide by a nationwide curfew and instructions from the security apparatus.
According to the report, situation deteriorated in Baghdad earlier Monday after al-Sadr said he was quitting politics for good.
The Republican Palace is in the heavily fortified Green Zone which houses government agencies and several foreign diplomatic missions.
Armed clashes erupted between al-Sadr loyalists and supporters of the rival Coordination Framework an Iran-linked umbrella of Shia powers according to eyewitnesses.
Iraqi authorities declared a nationwide curfew in an attempt to quell the unrest. Iraqi parties have been unable to form a new government since the last elections on Oct 10, 2021. - BERNAMA
