BAGHDAD, Oct 4 (NNN-NINA) – The death toll from three days of protests in Iraq climbed to 26 and more than 1,500 were wounded, as some protesters tried to rally in some areas on Thursday, but were dispersed by the security forces.
Ali al-Bayati, a member of the Iraqi Independent High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR), told reporters that, the toll that accompanied the protests during the three days in Baghdad and some provinces, rose to 26, including two members of the security forces.
He said, up to 1,509 people were wounded, including 401 security members, pointing out that most of them have left the hospital after receiving treatment.
Earlier, Faten al-Halfi, member of the IHCHR, put the death toll at 19, including a security member, and 1,041 were wounded, including security forces’ members.
Demonstrations erupted in the capital Baghdad and in several provinces across Iraq, on Tuesday and Wednesday, over unemployment, government corruption and the lack of basic services.
The demonstration turned violent in Baghdad, as clashes erupted with the police.
On Thursday, sporadic protests continued during the day, despite the curfew that was imposed in Baghdad starting from 5:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) Thursday morning, until further notice.
The Iraqi Defence Minister, Najah al-Shammari, said, he decided to raise the state of alert for the Iraqi armed forces, “to preserve state sovereignty and protect all foreign embassies and diplomatic missions operating in Iraq.”– NNN-NINA
