UPDATE 5 - Security forces kill 50 protesters in Iraq’s south

REVISES NUMBER OF CASUALTIES, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Mohamed Waleed

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraqi security forces killed at least 50 protesters Thursday while attempting to disperse demonstrators in the country’s southern cities of Nasiriyah and Najaf, according to medical sources.

A source who works for the Health Department in Dhi Qar province told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity that 32 people were killed and 230 others injured in Nasiriyah.

According to the source, the casualties occurred during clashes between protesters and security forces on al-Nasr and al-Zeytun bridges.

Security forces clashed with protesters early Thursday in an attempt to control the two bridges, which have been closed since last Wednesday, a security source told Anadolu Agency earlier.

-18 killed in protests in Najaf

Clashes in Najaf between protestors and the police left at least 18 protestors dead and 350 injured by live bullets and tear gas, according to a source with the Najaf Health Office.

Eyewitnesses said unidentified armed men in civilian clothes opened fire on protesters during protests that had erupted in many parts of the city.

The Najaf Operations Command announced that a curfew declared Wednesday was extended amid the latest violent demonstrations.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi appointed General Ali al-Hashemi as military commander to ensure security in Najaf.

Iraq has been rocked by mass protests since early October against poor living conditions and corruption. Protesters’ demands later spiraled into calls for dissolving the government of Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.

According to Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights, at least 348 Iraqis have been killed and 15,000 injured since the protests began on Oct. 1.