According to the most recent count by doctors, 23 followers of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr have been shot dead since Monday in fighting between opposing Iraqi forces in Baghdad.
The medical source estimated that at least 380 persons also sustained injuries.
Fighting between Sadr’s supporters and the army and Hashed al-Shaabi members, former paramilitaries who are now part of the Iraqi military, had subsided over night but picked back up on Tuesday morning.
The medical source estimated that at least 380 persons also sustained injuries. Fighting between Sadr’s supporters and the army and Hashed al-Shaabi members, former paramilitaries who are now part of the Iraqi military, had subsided over night but picked back up on Tuesday morning.
According to AFP correspondents, automatic rifle and rocket fire from the high-security Green Zone, which is home to government buildings and diplomatic missions, reverberated throughout Baghdad. Following Muqtada al-announcement, Sadr’s tens of thousands of his followers Monday attacked the Iraqi Presidential palace. The Shi’ite cleric sat on a hunger strike and pleaded for his followers to put an end to violence and weapon use in order to stop them.
A number of Iraqi protesters, largely Muqtada al-Sadr followers, stormed Baghdad’s strongly protected parliament building earlier in July to voice their opposition to the nomination of the prime minister by rival Iran-backed parties. The demonstrators opposed Mohammed Shia al-candidacy Sudani’s for prime minister because they felt he was too close to Iran.
“The Secretary-General has been following with concern the ongoing protests in Iraq today, during which demonstrators entered government buildings. He is particularly concerned about reports of casualties. He appeals for calm and restraint, and urges all relevant actors to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and avoid any violence,” said, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson of the Secretary-General in the statement.
“The Secretary-General strongly urges all parties and actors to rise above their differences and to engage, without further delay, in a peaceful and inclusive dialogue on a constructive way forward,” it added.
