Shells in the Green Zone .. strike in Iraq and injuries during clashes with security

Unidentified gunmen targeted the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad on Sunday evening with three rocket-propelled grenades, while 45 protesters were injured in clashes with security forces near that area, according to security sources.

Unidentified gunmen targeted the Green Zone with three rocket-propelled grenades, the quality of which was not known yet, a captain said.

The source, who asked not to be named, said the shells landed in the vicinity of the area, but no information about casualties so far.

The Green Zone is home to government headquarters, officials' homes and foreign diplomatic missions.

Confrontations and strike
This development comes at a time when Baghdad and the central and southern provinces are witnessing mass protests against the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi, since the beginning of last October.

A medical source at the Baghdad Health Department said today that the medical teams recorded 45 injuries among the demonstrators, most of whom were exposed to tear gas during clashes with security forces deployed on the bridges of the Free and Martyrs leading to the Green Zone.

The strike of the capital Baghdad and the central and southern provinces in support of the demands of the demonstrators, and stopped work in the majority of cities in southern Iraq from Basra to Kut, Najaf, Diwaniya, Hilla and Nasiriyah, where government departments and schools were closed.

The provinces of Babylon, Wasit, Maysan and Dhi Qar were declared Sunday as an official holiday against the backdrop of the announcement of the general strike to support the large demonstrations that are sweeping Baghdad and nine provinces for the fourth consecutive week.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Amer Lafi said that the demonstrators in Basra cut most of the roads to prevent the access of employees to their premises, in an attempt to make a successful strike in the province.

In conjunction with the strike, Iraqis again poured into the streets of the capital Baghdad and several southern cities today, re-impetus to the movement of protest that has been going on for weeks to demand "to topple the regime."

Demonstrators stressed that the mere announcement of the general strike is a victory for the demands of the demonstrators, even if it is a voluntary strike, or even if the suspension of work or assembly in front of government buildings only without access to the yards of demonstrations or to take to the streets.

Reinforcements and penetration
The Iraqi government has deployed security reinforcements in the streets, as demonstrations and sit-ins continue, while Iraqi Defense Minister Najah al-Shammari said that the popular demonstrations taking place in Tahrir Square in Baghdad are subjected to a major security breach through the presence of gunmen firing at demonstrators and security forces.

Al-Shammari added that security forces have recently arrested about 200 of these militants, and they are now under investigation.

He said security forces sometimes fired tear gas canisters directly at protesters, causing many deaths, especially when injuries were in the head area.

Since the protests began, at least 335 people have been killed and more than 15,000 wounded, according to the parliamentary Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Commission (an official parliament) and medical sources.

Protesters initially demanded better services, jobs and corruption, before their demands included the departure of the government and the political elite accused of corruption.