18 killed as masked gunmen attack protesters in holy city
BAGHDAD >> Masked gunmen opened fire at Iraqi 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 antigovernment demonstrations erupted earlier this month.
The overnight attack came as Iraqis took to the streets for a fifth straight day after a hiatus in the demonstrations that began earlier this month to protest government corruption, a lack of jobs and municipal services, and other grievances. The earlier protests also saw violence against protesters, and a total of 240 people have been killed since the unrest began.
But the bloodshed in Karbala could mark a turning point because of the high death toll and because the city is a major pilgrimage site where a revered Shiite figure was killed in a 7th century battle.
Similar anti-government protests are underway in Lebanon, where supporters of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah stormed the main protest camp and Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he would resign after hitting a “dead end” in trying to resolve the crisis. The protests in both countries are directed at governments and armed political factions that are close to Iran, raising fears of a violent backlash.
There were differing accounts and death tolls from Karbala, and details were still emerging from the scene.
Protesters said they did not know whether the masked men were riot police, special forces or Iranlinked militias. The protesters said Iraqi soldiers had been stationed around the protest site but withdrew after the attackers began firing tear gas and live ammunition.
Amid a clampdown by security forces, it was difficult to piece together what exactly prompted the attack.
Eyewitnesses told The Associated Press that masked gunmen opened fire on the camp.
Protesters said they did not know if the masked men were riot police, special forces or Iran-linked militias. The protesters said Iraqi soldiers had been stationed around the protest site but withdrew after the attackers began firing tear gas and live ammunition.
Provincial Gov. Nassif al-Khutabi denied that any protesters were killed but said there were some injuries among security forces.
He said videos posted online were fabricated and not from Karbala. The footage purported to show the aftermath of the attack, with fires and people running away to the sound of heavy gunfire. Al-Khutabi’s description contradicted those from people who were at the scene.
An AP video showed a nighttime fire and young protesters, some of them taking video with their cellphones, as gunfire echoes. An ambulance can be seen trying to drive amid the chaos, with Iraqi security forces arriving.
The leaderless and largely spontaneous protests across Iraq have been met with bullets and tear gas by security forces from the start.
At least 73 people — not including the latest fatalities in Karbala — have been killed since anti-government demonstrations resumed Friday, while 149 were killed during the earlier wave of protests this month.
Tuesday’s attack happened in Karbala’s Education Square, where protesters had set up tents for their sit-in.
The anti-government protests in Karbala, Baghdad and cities across southern Iraq have often turned violent, with security forces opening fire and protesters torching government buildings and headquarters of Iran-backed militias.
The demonstrations have occurred in Shiite-majority areas and have been directed at the Shiite-dominated government and Shiite political parties and militias, many of which are supported by neighboring Iran.
In Tehran, the Foreign Ministry warned Iranians against traveling to Iraq and asked them to postpone their trips until further notice, according to the staterun IRNA news agency.
Karbala is one of the holiest places in Shiite Islam, where Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed in battle in the year 680, a formative event in the schism between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Hundreds of thousands of Shiites flock to the city every year to commemorate his martyrdom.