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Dozens Killed in Iraq as Protests Escalate

VOA News

   Iraqi security forces used live ammunition against mostly unarmed
   demonstrators Thursday, killing at least 40 people in one of the
   bloodiest days since anti-government protests began last month,
   security and medical officials said.
   At least 25 people were killed and more than 200 wounded when security
   forces opened fire on protesters who had blocked key roads and bridges
   in the southern city ofNasiriyah.

   Baghdad said it had sent military troops to restore order across
   southern Iraq, where protests have grown increasingly violent.
   Demonstrators have occupied buildings and bridges andhave clashed with
   security forces, who have used tear gas and live ammunition almost
   daily since protests began.

   'A war zone'

   Amnesty International denounced the violence in Nasiriyah, calling it a
   bloodbath.
   "The scenes from Nasiriyah this morning more closely resemble a war
   zone than city streets and bridges. This brutal onslaught is just the
   latest in a long series of deadly events where Iraqi security forces
   meted out appalling violence against largely peaceful protesters,''
   said Lynn Maalouf, the group's Middle East research director.

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