Iraq protests: 40 dead as mass unrest descends into violence Published duration 25 October 2019 Related Topics Iraq protests

media caption Protesters cover their faces to shield themselves from tear gas in Baghdad

At least 40 people have died in Iraq during a fresh wave of anti-government protests that descended into violence.

Two of the dead were reportedly hit by tear gas canisters fired by security forces in the capital Baghdad.

Reports say half of the victims were killed while trying to storm the offices of militia groups and the government.

Protesters are demanding more jobs, better public services and an end to corruption.

About 2,000 people were wounded in protests across the country, AFP quoted a security source as saying.

Similar protests earlier this month were brutally put down by security forces, leaving nearly 150 people dead.

A government report has acknowledged that authorities used excessive force in quelling that unrest.

Ahead of the latest protests, Iraq's leading clerics and the United Nations issued calls for restraint.

A day earlier Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who took office a year ago on Friday, warned protesters that violence would not be tolerated.

He has promised a cabinet reshuffle and a package of reforms to address protesters' demands but many remain unconvinced.

What's the latest?

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on Friday morning.

When some tried to enter the Green Zone, where government buildings are based, security forces used tear gas to drive them back.

image copyright Reuters image caption Iraqi security forces blocked protesters as they tried to reach government buildings

image copyright AFP image caption Demonstrators ran for cover as police fired tear gas

Police and medical sources told Reuters news agency that two demonstrators had died in Baghdad after being struck by tear gas canisters.

Pictures from Baghdad show at least one person, apparently hit by a canister, lying motionless on the street.

Twelve died while setting fire to the headquarters of a paramilitary force in the southern city of Diwaniyah, security sources told AFP.

There is no official confirmation of the figures. The Iraqi interior ministry said 68 members of the security forces were injured across the country.

image copyright Reuters image caption Demonstrators disperse as Iraqi security forces use tear gas in Baghdad

image copyright Getty Images image caption Iraqi protesters burn items to block a road during clashes with security forces

The government's handling of the protests this month has fuelled discontent across Iraq, with political leaders facing calls to resign.

"We're not hungry, we want dignity," shouted one marcher. Another said that Iraq's politicians had "monopolised all the resources".

Protesters have called on the Shia-led government to overhaul Iraq's sectarian political system, in which power is shared along religious and ethnic lines.

Elsewhere, as unrest spread through Iraq's southern cities:

About 3,000 protesters broke into a government building in Dhi Qar province

Guards protecting a Shia militia group's offices in Maysan province opened fire, wounding at least six

Protesters set fire to a Shia political party's offices in Muthanna province

A curfew was imposed in several southern provinces

image copyright Getty Images image caption Anti-government protesters march through flood waters in the city of Najaf

What's the background?

The protests started in Baghdad on 1 October. Most of those taking part were young and unemployed.

After security forces used live ammunition against demonstrators, the unrest escalated and spread to other cities and towns.

media caption Watch protesters flee in Baghdad as Iraqi security forces fire tear gas

A government committee that was tasked with investigating the violence said 149 civilians and eight security personnel had been killed in protests between 1 and 6 October.