Protests in the southern Iraqi city of al-Nasirija have again killed several people. At least 13 people were killed in clashes with demonstrators and security forces, as the parliamentary-level Iraqi Human Rights Commission reported earlier this morning. More than 75 people were injured. Eyewitnesses said the security forces used firearms and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and open a blocked bridge. The authorities imposed a curfew.
However, in the face of continuing unrest, the government set up a military crisis staff. On the orders of Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief Adel Abdel Mahdi several military commanders were called into the crisis team to „restore security and order in southern provinces of the country,“ said the military leadership. They had the task to stand by the local governors and to „control“ the security forces and soldiers there.
More than 360 people killed
Since the beginning of the protests against corrupt and incapable political elites, more than 360 people have been killed and 15,000 injured within two months in Baghdad and other cities in southern Iraq. The protest is also directed against Iran, which is accused by the people of supporting the government in Baghdad.
At night, hundreds of demonstrators invaded the Iranian consulate in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf. They set fire to the building. Tehran demanded from Baghdad „decisive, effective“ action against the „aggressors,“ as an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
