Baghdad clashes injure 125 protesters, security forces

At least 125 people have been injured in clashes in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, between security forces and demonstrators as people once again rallied to protest what they call foreign-sponsored fraud and vote irregularities at the October parliamentary elections.

Iraqi security sources reported on Friday that police fired tear gas and live ammunition into the air to disperse the demonstrators while scores of the protesters threw stones and tried to advance towards Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies.

The Iraqi Health Ministry said in a statement that 27 people and the rest of the security forces were wounded while no gunshot wounds and no deaths were recorded, the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) reported.

The protesters were hurt mostly from smoke inhalation while nine policemen sustained injuries from being pelted by stones, hospital sources said.

The Iraqi capital and a number of major cities have been tense over the past few days as several political factions and their supporters in the West Asian country have rejected the preliminary results as "fraudulent."

A total of 329 seats were up for grabs in the election. More than 3,240 candidates were running, including 950 women.

SS