Demonstrators in Iraq’s Nasiriyah Remove Protest Camp

Protesters in Iraq's Nasiriyah. (Reuters file photo)
Protesters in Iraq's Nasiriyah. (Reuters file photo)
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Demonstrators in Iraq’s Nasiriyah Remove Protest Camp

Protesters in Iraq's Nasiriyah. (Reuters file photo)
Protesters in Iraq's Nasiriyah. (Reuters file photo)

Anti-government protesters in Iraq’s southern Dhi Qar province ended on Sunday a year of popular demonstrations that had swept the city of Nasiriyah.

The development took place amid reports that government authorities and groups affiliated to the Sadrist movement, of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, had threatened prominent activists.

The demonstrators had also likely cleared the protests sites in order to “catch their breath” and seriously consider the possibility of fielding candidates in next year’s June parliamentary elections. The candidates would be part of a larger coalition of activists from other parts of Iraq.

The removal of the protest camp will not mark the end of the rallies in Dhi Qar, said activists.

Official sources said the decision to clear the site had taken place through a prior agreement with the activists.

“That is part of the truth, but not all of it,” said activist and academic Abdul Wahhab al-Hamdani.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the decision stemmed from several factors, including pressure from the authorities and groups loyal to the Sadr movement. Over 20 activists were arrested in a single week as part of such pressure.

He also cited death threats against activists.

There are other reasons, continued Hamdani. Remaining in the protest camp was no longer useful for many of the youth and many calls had been made to clear the site due to the danger against them.

He also confirmed that planning for the elections was another factor and those preparations need focus to ensure that the candidates are successful.

The removal of the camp will not spell the end of the protests, he stressed, revealing that rallies will be held at the end of every week.



Israeli Airstrike on South Lebanon’s Nabatieh Injures 14, Health Ministry Says

People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Airstrike on South Lebanon’s Nabatieh Injures 14, Health Ministry Says

People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)
People stand amid the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israel's ground and air offensive after returning to the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab as on January 28, 2025. (AFP)

An Israeli airstrike on Nabatieh, a major town in southern Lebanon, injured 14 people on Tuesday, the Lebanese health ministry said.

Security sources reported a second strike in a nearby area. They said the first targeted a vehicle loaded with weapons, while the target of the second was still unclear.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israeli forces killed at least 24 people and wounded at least 141 in southern Lebanon on Sunday and Monday, the Lebanese health ministry said, as thousands of people tried to return to their homes in the area in defiance of Israeli military orders.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and Israel agreed on a ceasefire in late November, ending to a conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war in 2023.

The US said on Sunday the agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which included an initial 60-day period for the withdrawal of Israeli troops, would remain in effect until Feb. 18, an extension to the Jan. 26 deadline previously agreed.

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Monday that the group would not accept any justifications to extend the period for Israeli troops' withdrawal from southern Lebanon.