13 killed as the military opened fire on the anti-government protestors -

Baghdad: 13 people were killed when the military opened fire on the anti-Mahdi government protestors, in capital Baghdad. The Iraqi military took this action, defying the government orders not to resort to live firing, against the protestors. The discontent brewing in the Iraqi population, against the government, has erupted because of this. there are indications that the Iranian military officials will be instructing the Iraqi military, regarding the methods to crush the agitations. This has added fuel to the fire of discontent, in the Iraqi people.

Strong protests are being held against the Iraqi Prime Minister Abdel Abdul Mahdi, since the last month. the protestors are demanding that Mahdi should resign. The protests have gained momentum since the last 10 days and the protestors are trying to enter the High-security Green Zone, in capital Baghdad. The Iraqi military has blocked the access to the Green Zone by blocking the bridges leading to the area with containers.

Other than this, the Iraqi military resorted to firing on the protestors defying previous orders. 13 people were killed in the firing carried out by the Iraqi military over 24 hours. A medical assistant, attending to the people injured in the firing also was killed. Before this, 8 people were killed in the actions of the Iraqi military. more than 260 people were killed in the actions of the Iraqi military, in the last month and this information could not reach the outside world, as the Mahdi government has banned internet in the country.

Iraq suffered losses to the tune of USD 6 billion, because of the protests against the Mahdi government and the actions against them. The Iraq government claimed that these losses are being caused as the commercials freight movements have come to a standstill, as the protestors have blocked the main arterial roads.

Meanwhile, Iran has given this advise to Iraq, that the agitations are to be crushed, with harsh military actions. Last week, General Qassem Soleimani, the chief of the Iranian Quds Force, gave this suggestion during his meetings with the Iraqi security committee and military. reports are making rounds that General Qassem Soleimani has taken the controls of the Iraqi security forces, to crush the protests. The effects are already visible.

It is clear that the actions against the protestors will become harsher in the time to come. At the same time, these protests enjoy support from strong Iraqi groups and therefore it is being revealed that crushing the protests will not be easy. Therefore, there is a possibility that this Iraqi conflict will assume more dangerous proportions, in the times ahead.