By Ibrahim Salih
BAGHDAD (AA) – Six Iraqi protesters were killed in demonstrations against poor public utilities and high unemployment in the southern city of Basra, according to a local medical source on Wednesday.
“The bodies of six protesters were admitted to the Basra general hospital,” the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.
He said more than 20 other protesters were injured during the demonstrations in the city on Tuesday.
The same death toll was confirmed by Mahdi al-Tamimi, the local head of Iraq’s Human Rights Commission.
“We call for an immediate investigation into the killing of protesters by security forces in Basra,” he told local media.
There was no comment from Iraqi authorities on the fatalities.
Since July 9, Basra and other southern and central Shia-majority provinces have witnessed ongoing protests which have spread to capital, Baghdad.
Demonstrators demand improved public services like water and electricity, more job opportunities and an end to government corruption.
Roughly 80 percent of Iraq’s overall crude oil exports originate from oilfields in Basra province.
For years, residents have complained that foreign nationals, rather than locals, were being employed by the domestic energy sector.
They also complain of frequent power outages amid summer temperatures that often reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 F).
