During five days of protests in the first week of October, at least 149 civilians were killed and 4,207 others wounded, an official report found. The report also said that eight members of the security forces had been killed and 1,287 others wounded. The punitive action taken by Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq’s prime minister, was the sharpest rebuke of military excess at any time in recent years, and its language was strikingly clear and strong. It nevertheless drew broad criticism from Iraqis across the political spectrum, mixed in with some praise. Security units linked to the groups were believed to be responsible for some of the most deadly excesses.

Source: New York Times October 22, 2019 10:30 UTC