Iraqi security forces raid Baghdad protest site; uses tear gas & bullets

Security forces in Iraq have raided Baghdad's main anti-government protest site and fired tear gas and bullets to disperse the protesters on January 25, as per reports. It resulted in killing of four people and wounded dozens more, according to the police and medical sources.

Populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has millions of followers in the city said that he would stop getting involved in the anti-government unrest to end the demonstrations and restore order. The clashes between the police and demonstrators took place after authorities began removing concrete barriers near Tahrir Square, which is the main centre of the protest where demonstrators have camped out for months. According to the onlookers, riot police also set fire to a number of protest tents on the nearby Sinak Bridge, as per the reports. 

READ: Iraqi Security Forces Raid Main Protest Camp In Baghdad, Shoot At Demonstrators

Clash between police and protesters 

The sudden flurry of activity according to reports appear to be an attempt to fully clear out anti-government sit-ins and to finally end popular demonstrations that have been going on for months. The demonstrations were calling for the removal of Iraq's ruling elite.

The raids by the security forces came just a few hours after populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr declared that he would halt the involvement of his supporters in the anti-government movement. On Tuesday, Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters clashed at the Mohammed al-Qassim highway in central Baghdad.

READ: Iraq Protest Tents Set Ablaze After Cleric Withdraws Support

Security forces fired tear gas

Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and live rounds during the clashes while protesters threw Molotov bombs at them. The uprising began on October 1st last year when thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to decry rampant government corruption, poor public services and a scarcity of jobs.

The anti-government movement had scored several successes before the US strike diverted public attention. In December, pressure from demonstrations led Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, to withdraw support for the government of Adel Abdul-Mahdi, prompting the prime minister's resignation.

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READ: Iraq: At Least 10 Killed, 138 Injured In Two Days Of Violent Protests