Death Toll Mounts in Iraqi Anti-government Protests

Four participants in ongoing anti-government unrest in Baghdad were killed on Thursday, with reports of some 50 wounded as security forces attempted to push back demonstrators from streets and public areas. The Reuters news agency said three of the dead were killed when struck in the head by teargas cannisters, apparently launched by shotgun-like riot-dispersal weapons. The fourth died of wounds from a stun grenade, which can be lethal at close quarters. According to security and medical sources, some of the wounded were hit by live ammunition. Protests against living conditions and alleged government corruption have been taking place country-wide since October 1, with over 300 dead, but they have been particularly severe in Baghdad. Protesters in the capital clash daily with security forces in their efforts to reach government offices in the city’s so-called Green Zone, a neighborhood that is also home to many foreign embassies.