Iraqi Army: Some Protesters Were Killed by Unknown Gunmen

Spokesman of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf, revealed, on Friday, that some of the protesters were killed during their protests by unknown gunmen in some provinces.

In a statement to Russian television network RT, Khalaf said that some protesters were killed by soldiers while others were killed by unknown gunmen in a number of Iraqi provinces.

He stressed that a committee will be formed to follow up the file of the victims and provide evidence and facts that reveal those who are involved in the killing of a number of protesters.

Earlier, Iraqi security sources announced that four protesters were killed in the southern city of Basra, meanwhile, 6 others were killed and dozens were injured in Baghdad.

Noteworthy, Attempts by senior officials to stop mass protests in Iraq have not succeeded, as demonstrations and road closures continued.

In an effort to calm the crisis, Iraqi Prime Minister (PM) Adil Abdul-Mahdi vowed to implement reforms, calling for a return to normalcy.

“The unrest is costing the country’s economy billions of dollars,” he stressed.

In an official statement published Sunday evening, Abdul Mahdi said that the protests, which “rocked the political system” have served their purpose and must stop affecting business and economic activities in Iraq.

“The threat to oil interests and closure of some Iraq’s ports is causing great losses exceeding billions,” he said, warning that this unrest would contribute to an increase in goods’ prices.