One dead as new protests shake south Iraq, reach Baghdad

A man was killed TOday in a new day of protests in Iraq, a medical source said, as authorities struggle to contain social unrest which has reached the capital Baghdad.

The latest death brings to nine the number of people killed in protests as Iraqis hit out at a litany of social and economic woes.

The man killed was aged around 20 and died after being shot in the southern city of Diwaniyah, a medical source said, as hundreds of people gathered outside the local headquarters of an armed group.

Shots were fired by a guard from the powerful Iranian-backed Badr organisation, the source added, asking not to be name. The unrest erupted in Basra province on July 8 when security forces opened fire, killing one person as protesters demanded jobs and basic services.

Others killed during this month's protests were shot by unknown assailants. The Iraqi government has swiftly denounced "vandals" it accuses of infiltrating the protests.

Earlier this week, authorities said more than 260 security personnel had been wounded in ongoing clashes.

As southern Iraqis continued to rally against corruption, unemployment, high prices, power cuts and a lack of clean water, demonstrators also rallied in the capital Baghdad today.

"We believed that these politicians would improve the situation in the country, but they aren't doing anything," said Yahya Hasnawi, 50, one of thousands of protesters in Baghdad.