BAGHDAD -- Anti-government demonstrators defied an around-the-clock curfew in Baghdad and other cities Thursday as Iraqi security forces used live ammunition and tear gas during a third day of unrest that has left 33 people dead, most of them protesters.
Authorities cut Internet access in much of Iraq since late Wednesday in a move to curb the rallies. By Thursday afternoon, the curfew was extended to three other southern provinces.
The spontaneous rallies have been spurred mostly by young people wanting jobs, improved services such as electricity and water, and an end to endemic corruption in the oil-rich country. Most of the demonstrators were peaceful; many had their faces covered with masks or Iraqi flags.
The streets of Baghdad were littered with tear-gas canisters and bullet casings. Smoke from burned tires rose above the streets as protesters tried to prevent security forces from advancing. The forces spread barbed wire and armored vehicles to block their path.
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"Even with a curfew, we are not turning back," shouted protester Abu Qassim.
The unrest is the most serious challenge for Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi's year-old government, which also has been caught in the middle of increasing U.S.-Iran tensions in the region. Iraq is allied with both countries and hosts thousands of U.S. troops, as well as powerful paramilitary forces allied with Iran.
Middle East expert Jennifer Cafarella, with the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, said the immediate and widespread use of force against protesters in several provinces demonstrates "that the security forces are overwhelmed by the volume and rate of spread" of the rallies.
There were indications that the regional tension is at play. Some Baghdad demonstrators blamed Iranian-backed groups within the security forces for the violence. Media affiliated with the Iranian-backed groups have pointed fingers at the United States and Saudi Arabia for the unrest.
Cafarella said that indicates the "potential for escalation" between protesters and these forces.
In the past three days, at least 20 protesters and one policeman were killed in four provinces. On Thursday, the first death was reported in Baghdad where one protester was killed as the demonstrators pushed their way toward Tahrir Square in the city center. The square has been off-limits since Wednesday night just before the curfew.
Soon after, protesters overpowered a soldier in his armored vehicle, setting it on fire and warning other security forces to stay away from the square. The protesters then marched toward the square. There were also fires set to parts of government buildings in the southern provinces of Najaf and Dhi Qar.
At least five protesters were shot and killed Thursday in Zaafaraniya, a southern Baghdad neighborhood, according to police and a medial official.
Explosions were heard before dawn inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home to government offices and foreign embassies. The U.S.-led coalition said an investigation was underway into the attack, adding that no coalition forces or assets were hit. An Iraqi security official said two mortar shells hit the Green Zone, falling on an open space and not causing any injuries. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
In the latest deaths, at least six protesters were shot and killed Thursday in the city of Nasiriyah, about 200 miles south of Baghdad, a medical official said. Nasiriyah has seen the most violence since the protests began Tuesday.
The mostly leaderless protests have been concentrated in Baghdad and in predominantly Shiite areas of southern Iraq, attracting jobless young people and university graduates who are suffering under an economy reeling from graft and mismanagement.
Two demonstrators were killed Tuesday and at least 17 deaths, including a policeman, were reported Wednesday in rallies in Nasiriyah, Kut, and Amara, according to security officials.
The coalition urged all sides "to reduce tensions and reject violence."
Iraq's state news agency said Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi invited representatives of the protesters to parliament to discuss their demands. Iraqi state TV broadcast numbers for the office of the prime minister in an outreach to protesters.
Iraq's Foreign Ministry summoned Iran Ambassador Iraj Masjedi to denounce his threat that Tehran would retaliate to a U.S. attack anywhere in the world, including in Iraq. A ministry statement said Iraqi official Abdul-Karim Hashem told him that American troops are in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government and that Iraq will not accept becoming an arena for international conflicts.
Masjedi recently told Iraq's Dijla TV that if the Americans attack Iran, Tehran "will strike back anywhere, including [in] Iraq."
Information for this article was contributed by Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Nabil Al-Jurani of The Associated Press.
A Section on 10/04/2019