At least nine people were killed, and 21 more were wounded in recent violence:
Four demonstrators were killed when security guards fired on them at a shopping center in Najaf. About 21 people were wounded. Five security guards were detained. The demonstrators are all believed to be followers of Shi’te cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The Bashir Mall, owned by a former Sadrist accused of corruption, was burned down. Earlier, Sadr complained about corruption in Iraq and called on followers to protest corrupt business centers. He later warned against violence. Protests have spread to other cities and provinces, such as Karbala, Babil, Wasit, and Basra. Last summer, protests killed or injured hundreds of demonstrators across southern Iraq.
Gunmen killed four security personnel in Riyadh.
In Abbara, gunmen killed a civilian.
