5 killed, 300 hurt as Baghdad anti-government protests turn violent

5 killed, 300 hurt as Baghdad anti-government protests turn violent

Five people were killed and more than 300 injured Saturday when security forces fired gunshots and teargas to disperse a massive pro-reform rally in central Baghdad, according to Iraqi officials.

Baghdad Governor Ali al-Tamimi said four protesters were killed. He added that 320 were injured, including 79 casualties by gunfire.

One policeman was also killed in the violence, according to Baghdad Operations Command, the Iraqi capital's security apparatus.

It said that some protesters were carrying guns and knives.

Thousands of Iraqis loyal to prominent Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square to demand a revamp of the electoral system ahead of provincial elections in September.

Witnesses said that security forces fired teargas at the demonstrators when they attempted to head to Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home to government offices and foreign embassies.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi promised an investigation into the use of force against protesters.

Earlier in the northern city of Mosul, Iraqi forces killed two would-be Islamic State bombers and seized an arms cache in a crackdown on suspected militants in the government-held eastern section of the city, a security official said Saturday.

The area was recently recaptured from the extremist militia as part of a months-long offensive to oust the extremists from Mosul, Iraq's second-biggest city, EBL news reports.

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