Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s decision to quit politics has sparked some of the worst fighting for years in Iraq’s capital, the BBC reports.
By late yesterday, at least 23 people had died.
According to the BBC, gunshots and rocket-fire rang out as al-Sadr’s supporters clashed with security forces and militias aligned with Iran.
Al-Sadr reportedly ordered his supporters to withdraw from outside parliament, where they have been protesting for weeks.
The BBC reports that his bloc won the most seats in October’s elections but could not agree on the formation of a new government with the second largest bloc, comprised mainly of Iran-backed parties. Once an Iranian ally, al-Sadr has repositioned himself as a nationalist wanting to end US and Iranian influence over Iraq’s internal affairs.
Iraq has been in a state of paralysis since inconclusive elections in 2021.
The violence began on Monday after al-Sadr, one of Iraq’s most influential figures, said he was withdrawing from political life.