Eight people killed and 25 wounded in fresh clashes in Iraqi capital Baghdad

At least eight people were killed and 25 wounded in fresh clashes between protesters and police in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, police and medical sources said.

The clashes took place in Sadr city, a sprawling residential district in the Iraqi capital, and added to a death toll of more than 100 people killed over days of violent protests.

Police, backed by the army, used live rounds and tear gas to disperse the crowds at two separate locations in Sadr City, police said.

The protests pose the biggest security and political challenge for Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi’s government since it took power a year ago, and have revived fears of a new spiral of violence that could suck in influential militia groups.

Earlier on Sunday, the Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Saad Maan said that at least 104 people including eight security personnel have been killed and more than 6,000 wounded in less than a week of unrest in Iraq.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi announced a series of reforms in response to protesters’ demands, including allowing low-income residents to apply for residential land, will be enforced.