This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Thirteen protesters were reported killed across Iraq on November 24 as anti-government demonstrations showed no signs of abating.
Seven protesters were killed in the southern province in Basra in what one security official there said was “one of the worst” days since the start of the unrest.
Four protesters were killed in Nassiriya Province, and one killed in both Najaf, the seat of Iraq’s Shi’ite religious authority, and Diwanieh provinces.
At least 150 protesters were wounded in clashes with security forces across southern Iraq.
Earlier in Basra, which accounts for nearly 85 percent of the country’s crude oil production, protesters burned tires in the city center, cutting main roads.
At least 342 people have died since demonstrations began on October 1, when thousands of Iraqis, mostly youth, took to the streets to decry corruption and poor services.
The international community, including the United Nations and the United States, have denounced the use of force against peaceful demonstrators.
