Several wounded as protests continue in Iraq

Protesters continued to block the main road in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and in the holy city of Najaf on Sunday.

Thick black smoke rose in the air as protesters burned tires to express their anger after months of protesting.

In Baghdad, protesters are occupying three key bridges, Jumhuriya, Ahrar and Sinak, in a standoff with security forces.

Iraqi officials said 12 protesters were wounded by security forces in Baghdad.

On Saturday, protests spread from the capital to the Shiite majority city of Najaf, where Iraqi youth also set tires ablaze and chanted against politicians.

Najaf has been one of the flashpoints in the Iraqi protest movement after demonstrators repeatedly torched the Iranian Consulate there.

A leaderless uprising shook Iraq on Oct. 1, with thousands of Iraqis taking to the streets in Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite southern Iraq decrying corruption, poor services, lack of jobs and calling for an end to the political system that was imposed after the 2003 U.S. invasion.