Army kills six as Iraqis call for PM to quit
January 25, 2013 22:45
Six demonstrators were killed and 35 wounded when soldiers opened fire today in west of Baghdad, as tens of thousands rallied in Sunni-majority areas calling for Iraq's Shiite leader to quit.
The deaths were the first at the hands of the security forces since massive protests began in mainly Sunni Arab areas of Iraq more than a month ago, railing against alleged targeting of their minority community by the Shiite-led authorities.
The demonstration in Fallujah, 60 kilometres west of Baghdad, was one of several that began after today's prayers across the country, while Shiite clerics called on the government to heed their demands.
Protesters had been moving to an area in east Fallujah but were blocked off by soldiers deployed from Baghdad, Fallujah police Captain Nasser Awad told AFP. They began throwing bottles of water at the troops, who then opened fire.
Six demonstrators were killed, all of them from gunshot wounds, said Khaled Khalaf al-Rawi, a doctor at Fallujah hospital.
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