Protest leads to clashes with police in Iraq’s Maysan
Shafaq News- Maysan
Three security personnel were injured during a protest over poor electricity supply in central Maysan on Sunday.
Clashes broke out when security forces moved to disperse the demonstration, with protesters throwing stones at security personnel, Shafaq News correspondent reported.
Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib earlier today dismissed Nizar Qahtan Hassan as head of the ministry’s Training and Energy Research Department for “failing to perform his duties” and reassigned him to a lower-ranking position. The move is the latest in a series of leadership changes since Wahib took office in May.
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Power shortages remain a major source of public frustration in Iraq, particularly during summer, when temperatures often exceed 50°C and millions depend on private generators. Peak demand has exceeded 60,000 megawatts, while generation stands at around 20,000 MW, leaving a shortfall of nearly 40,000 MW. The Electricity Ministry attributes the gap partly to illegal grid connections and shortages in natural gas supplies caused by regional conflict and disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Read more: Beyond 50°C: How decades of conflict are heating Iraq
