Iraq’s Abadi dismisses Basra operations commander

People gather in front of the governor’s building to stage a protest in Iraq’s oil-rich Basra province on 5 September 2018 [Haider el Esedi/Anadolu Agency]

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi dismissed the head of Basra military operations, Lieutenant-General Jamil Al-Shammari, after dozens were killed in violent protests in the south of the country.

Al-Abadi’s decision came just a few hours before the Iraqi parliament voted to remove Al-Shammari from office.

“The Prime Minister has ordered the transfer of Basra Operations commander, Jamal Al-Shammari to the post of President of the Defence University for Military Studies,” Al-Abadi’s media office said in a brief statement.

Al-Shammari has been widely criticised for the violent protests which erupted in Basra earlier this month and led to the death of 18 demonstrators and the injury of dozens more.

The protesters say the security forces killed and wounded many while security authorities say they targeted “infiltrators” who wanted to destroy public and private property.

Read: Iraq’s Abadi arrives in Basra in bid to contain popular protests

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