In Iraq, he announced the dismissal of the army operations chief of Baghdad from his post, in a move attributed by a military source to the desire to absorb the anger of the demonstrators and reduce international criticism of the government after the Al-Khulani massacre in central Baghdad.

Today, Sunday, the official Iraqi News Agency reported in a brief news that the Baghdad Operations Commander Qais Al-Muhammadawi was relieved of his position and Major General Abdul Hussein Al-Tamimi was appointed in his place. The agency did not explain the reason for this decision.

For its part, Anatolia news agency quoted an officer in the Ministry of Defense - who asked not to be named - as saying that the step to relieve Muhammadawi from his post comes against the background of the events that took place two days ago in al-Khilani Square, to absorb the anger of the protesters and seek to reduce the weight of international criticism.

Masked gunmen stormed Al-Khilani Square in central Baghdad on Friday evening, with four-wheel-drive civilian cars, and fired indiscriminately with automatic weapons at the protesting protesters, killing 25 people and wounding 120 others, according to medical and security sources and eyewitnesses.

Fears that the incident will be the prelude to a new wave of violence prevail in the anti-government protests and ruling parties, which erupted in early October.

Cautious calm
Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that a cautious calm prevails in Al-Khilani Square and Al-Senak area in central Baghdad, but the area is witnessing a proliferation of demonstrators.

The reporter indicated that access to the Tahrir and Al-Khulani arenas is now undergoing many inspection stations by the demonstrators, who have formed security committees.

He added that hundreds of school and university students started arriving in Tahrir Square, early in the morning, to show solidarity with the demonstrators who continued their protests for the seventh week in a row.

Today, sit-ins continued in demonstrating areas in the six central and southern governorates of the country, in addition to disrupting working hours in several departments and universities to mourn the lives of the victims.

Protesters released
For its part, the Supreme Judicial Council, which manages the affairs of the judiciary in Iraq, today announced the release of 2,626 peaceful demonstrators arrested during anti-government demonstrations and ruling parties.

Since the beginning of last October, Iraq has been witnessing demonstrations calling for political reform, accountability for the corrupt and the provision of job opportunities. Violent confrontations between the security forces and the demonstrators have resulted in the deaths of about 460 people and injured about twenty thousand others, according to Iraqi human rights sources.