Clashes kill 10 as Iraq's Sadr quits politics, loyalists storm complex

[Valin]

Reuters

John Davison and Haider Kadhim

Aug 29 2022

• Rival Shi'ite groups skirmish in streets
• Cleric Sadr wants parliament dissolved, early elections
• Political stalemate leaves Iraq's recovery in limbo

BAGHDAD, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Heavy clashes erupted in Baghdad, killing at least 10 people on Monday, after powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he would quit politics, prompting his loyalists to storm a government palace and fight with rival groups.

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A political standoff between Sadr and Shi'ite Muslim rivals who are mostly backed by Iran has sent Iraq spiralling into yet another round of violence as it struggles to recover from decades of war, sanctions, civil strife and endemic corruption.

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The latest round of violence pits Sadr's supporters, which include a heavily armed militia, against Iran-aligned rival paramilitaries and the security forces.

Sadr's win in an October election, his attempts to form a government free of Iran-backed groups, and his eventual withdrawal from parliament in favour of street protests and occupying government buildings to block political activity have all featured in the build-up of tensions that finally erupted into new violence on Monday.

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