18 protesters shot dead in Iraq

BAGHDAD: Iraqi security forces wearing masks and black plainclothes opened fire at protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Tuesday, killing 18 people and wounding hundreds, security officials said, in one of the deadliest single attacks since the country was engulfed by protests this month.

The attack, which happened overnight, came as Iraqis took to the streets for a fifth consecutive day, protesting their government’s corruption, lack of services and other grievances.

The protests, leaderless and largely spontaneous, have been met with bullets and tear gas from the first day. At least 72 protesters — not including the latest fatalities in Karbala — have been killed since anti-government protests resumed across Iraq on Friday, after 149 were killed during an earlier wave of protests this month.

Also, in the Karbala attack alone, more than 800 people were wounded, according to one official.

Security officials said Tuesday’s attack happened in Karbala’s Education Square, about 2 km from the Imam Hussein Shrine, where protesters had set up tents for their sit-in. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

An eyewitness said hundreds of protesters were in the encampment when live bullets were fired toward them from a passing car. Then, masked gunmen in black plainclothes arrived and started shooting at the protesters, the witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety. Tents caught fire, igniting a blaze, he added.

Karbala, as Baghdad and other cities in Iraq’s southern region, has been gripped by a wave of deadly anti-government protests.