Iraqi forces kill six protesters in Basra

42 hurt as angry residents rally against power outages, lack of jobs

Six protesters were killed and 20 more were injured during a second day of clashes with security forces in Iraq’s main southern city Basra, local health and security sources said.

Twenty-two members of the security forces were also wounded, some by a hand grenade, the sources said, in some of the worst unrest reported during months of protests sweeping the long neglected south.

Protesters are angry over electricity outages during the hot Iraqi summer, a lack of jobs and proper government services and entrenched corruption.

Basra residents say salt seeping into the water supply has made it undrinkable and sent hundreds to hospital, proof that infrastructure has been allowed to collapse in the part of the country that produces most of its oil wealth.

Hundreds of people gathered at local government buildings, hurled petrol bombs and stones and attempted to block roads leading to the building for a second night.

Hundreds of people gathered near a provincial government building in Iraq’s southern oil hub Basra yesterday to mourn the death of a protester in clashes with security forces on Monday night.

The protester, Yasser Makki, died in hospital and six more people were wounded in demonstrations over poor government services and corruption, local health and security sources said.

Mourners carried Makki’s body near the site where he was wounded, chanting “Yasser’s blood will not be lost”.

Urgent probe sought

They damaged the gate of the provincial government headquarters but were dispersed by security forces using tear gas before they could enter the building. More protests were called for later yesterday. The local head of Iraq’s Human Rights Commission, Mahdi Al Tamimi, called for an investigation into Makki’s death.

“We call on the Iraqi judiciary to open an immediate and urgent investigation into the killing of a demonstrator who was shot in the shoulder and subjected to electric shocks by security forces,” Al Tamimi said in a statement.

Hundreds of people had gathered near Basra’s provincial government building on Monday night to press demands for better public services and an end to corruption. Protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at security forces, who responded by firing shots into the air and tear gas, security sources said.

Protests have swept cities in the long neglected south, Iraq’s Shiite heartland, over electricity outages during the hot Iraqi summer, a lack of jobs and proper government services, and entrenched graft.