Guwahati: At least 15 people have been killed so far in clashes between security forces and supporters of a prominent and influential Shia cleric in Iraq’s Baghdad on Tuesday.
As a result of the fights that erupted after Muqtada al-supporters Sadr’s rushed the presidential palace after hearing of his political retirement, more than a dozen people have reportedly been hurt.
As a result of rumours of disturbance in numerous other cities, the interim prime minister of Iraq has called for calm and the military has imposed a national curfew.
One of the greatest incidents of violence to occur in the nation in recent memory was street fights that started overnight and involved gunfire exchanges and the use of tracer rounds.
The city’s Green Zone, which is home to diplomatic missions and government facilities, was the scene of the more severe violence. Social media videos from the area and nearby show some protesters utilising powerful weapons, such as rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
Following the incident, Iran closed its borders with Iraq in the midst of the conflict, and Kuwait urged its residents to evacuate the country immediately.
The announcement of Sadr’s departure from politics, which he blamed on the opposition of rival Shia leaders and parties to reform the Iraqi political system, prompted a day plagued by bloodshed.
The majority of seats in Iraq’s parliament were won by candidates sympathetic to Sadr in October, but he was unable to secure enough support to establish a majority administration. After that, he refused to speak with Shia factions supported by Iran, which resulted in nearly a year of political unrest.
“I had resolved not to meddle in political issues,” Sadr had stated in a statement, “but I now declare my ultimate retirement and the closing of all [Sadrist] institutions.”
Sadr, who is 48, has emerged as a prominent figure in political and public life in Iraq during the past 20 years. After Saddam Hussain was overthrown by the US invasion, his Mehdi army rose to prominence as one of the most potent militias to oppose the US and its associated Iraqi government troops.
One of the largest militias that is a part of the Iraqi armed forces is still known by the new name Peace Brigades.
Despite the Mehdi army’s connections to Iran, Sadr has now distanced himself from Iraq’s Shia neighbour, recasting himself as a nationalist who wants to put a stop to US and Iranian meddling in the nation’s internal affairs.