Eleven people were killed during protests overnight in two southern Iraqi cities, including a policeman, police and medical sources said.
Seven protesters and the policeman died in Nassiriya during clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Four more people were killed in the city of Amara, the sources said.
Riot police used live rounds as well as stun grenades and rubber bullets to stop demonstrators from crossing a bridge over the Tigris River to the Green Zone from Tahrir Square, where they had been protesting against unemployment, government corruption, and lack of electricity and water.
It may be that the government is minimizing casualty figures in order to avoid a popular backlash. Many ministers, senior officials, and government are located in the Green Zone.
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