Iraq: Najaf residents protest poor services, road briefly blocked

Shafaq News – Najaf

On Friday, hundreds of residents in Iraq’s Najaf province protested over deteriorating public services, briefly blocking a main road linking Najaf and Karbala before security forces dispersed the demonstration.

Shafaq News correspondent said demonstrators called for improved access to basic services, including water, electricity, and sewage networks, while raising placards describing their neighborhood as “disaster-stricken.”

Security forces reopened the road after breaking up the protest by force, the correspondent reported, adding that no injuries were recorded among the demonstrators.

Local authorities and the Interior Ministry did not immediately comment.

Najaf, one of Iraq’s holiest cities and home to more than one million people, has witnessed repeated protests in recent years over similar grievances tied to public services and infrastructure.

Voter turnout in the province during the November parliamentary elections stood at 42.70%, among the lowest rates nationwide, according to figures from the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).