Iraq .. rising tension in Nasiriyah, Najaf, parliament receives the resignation of Abdul Mahdi

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi formally submitted his resignation letter to parliament at a time of rising tension in the southern city of Nassiriya on Friday over dead and wounded in clashes on Friday and Saturday.

Sources in the Prime Minister's Office said that Adel Abdul-Mahdi presided over an emergency session of the Council of Ministers to discuss his resignation. Sunday to be a formal resignation.

"The prime minister stressed that the government has done everything in its power to respond to the demands of the demonstrators and to introduce reforms," ​​the statement said, calling on the House of Representatives to find appropriate solutions at its next session.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi judiciary pledged to punish anyone who assaulted protesters under the penal code, calling on the injured and the dead to register their statements with the investigative bodies in the cities of Nasiriyah and Najaf.

This comes at a time when the city of Nasiriyah - the center of the province of Dhi Qar in southern Iraq - an escalation of tension after two bloody days in which dozens were killed and wounded after clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

In Najaf, the Associated Press quoted security and medical sources that two demonstrators were killed and about 15 others were wounded in the city of Najaf in southern Iraq by security forces.

Nasiriyah
Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the police of Dhi Qar ordered the closure of the entrances of the province to protect them from entering "unknown destinations", following the injury of 16 people were shot by unknowns near the olive bridge.

This came when a number of tribal elders and representatives of the demonstrators went to the police headquarters to negotiate a truce between the security forces and the protesters. For injuries from both sides.

The security forces opened fire, causing further casualties. The commander of the first regiment, Colonel inside Abdullah, was shot.

Al-Jazeera correspondent said that a large number of demonstrators are still flocking to the streets of the sit-in in Nasiriyah despite the continuing clashes, in addition to a number of them gathered in the square Haboubi in the city center of Nasiriyah and burned tires.

Police also cut olive bridges, civilizations and victory as some protesters continued to cut bridges and main roads in Nasiriyah with burning tires.

Baghdad
In Baghdad, clashes resumed near Jisr al-Ahrar, causing casualties. Protesters also burned tires and shots were heard in the vicinity.

Since the protests began in February, more than 418 people have been killed and 15,000 wounded, according to figures from the parliamentary Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Commission (official), and medical and human rights sources.

Protesters initially demanded jobs, improved services and the fight against corruption before protests spread unprecedentedly, including the departure of the government and the political elite accused of corruption.

The Iraqi protesters welcomed Abdul Mahdi's resignation, which he presented today to the House of Representatives, but say it is not enough and demand reform of a political system they see as corrupt and keep them in poverty and withholds any opportunities.

Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who supported but did not fully support the protests, said late on Friday that demonstrations should continue.

"The prime minister's nomination should be through a referendum on five candidates," he said in a statement on Twitter, adding that the protesters should continue to press for their demands, but he refused to resort to violence.