Medical sources said that the Iraqi security forces shot dead 14 protesters in the southern city of Nassiriya and authorities imposed a curfew in Najaf after demonstrators burned an Iranian consulate.
However, authorities have set up joint military-civilian crisis cells to try to stem unrest.
The torching of the consulate in Najaf, the southern holy city, escalated violence in Iraq after weeks of mass demonstrations that aim to bring down a government seen as corrupt and backed by Tehran.
The inability of Iraq’s government and political class to deal with the unrest and answer protesters’ demands has fueled public anger.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has promised electoral and anti-corruption reform but barely begun delivering while security forces have shot dead hundreds of mostly peaceful demonstrators in the streets of Baghdad and southern cities.
The protests, which began in Baghdad on October 1st and have spread through southern cities, are the most complex challenge facing the Shi’ite-dominated ruling class.
