Three killed as Iraq's powerful Sadr quits politics and clashes erupt

Shafaq News / Three protestors were killed and 50 others (including members of the security forces) were wounded in Baghdad on Monday after a decision by Iraq's powerful Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to quit politics over a political deadlock prompted clashes between his supporters and backers of Iran-backed rivals.

Multiple suffocation cases have also been reported among media persons covering the protests inside Baghdad's ultra-secure Green Zone as security forces attempt to disperse the protestors using gas.

Al-Sadr announced he is walking out of politics in a statement he shared on Twitter earlier today. The influential leader seized the opportunity to take an aim toward a senior Najaf clergyman, Ayatollah al-Haeri, and fellow Shiite politicians who opposed his calls for reform.

In the aftermath, followers of al-Sadr rallied outside the presidential palace and stormed the government headquarters, prompting caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to suspend cabinet meetings until further notice.