Scores attend funeral of supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr

Record ID: 1686835

  • Title: Scores attend funeral of supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr
  • Date: 30th August 2022
  • Summary: POSTER OF MOQTADA AL-SADR
  • Embargoed: 13th September 2022 09:09
  • Keywords: Clashes Funerals Iraq Moqtada al-Sadr Najaf
  • Location: NAJAF, IRAQ
  • City: NAJAF, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA002142630082022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Scores marched in the funeral procession of supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr in Najaf city on Tuesday (August 30) many of whom were killed during clashes in Baghdad.
    Mourners took to the streets of Najaf, carrying the coffins and chanting slogans in support of Sadr.
    Clashes on Monday (August 29) between rival Shi’ite Muslim groups killed nearly 20 people, jolted Iraq into new violence as supporters of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a former anti-U.S. insurgent leader, faced off with Shi’ite armed groups mostly loyal to Iran.
    A prolonged political deadlock after an October election, during which the two camps have competed for power, has given the country its longest run without a government and led to new unrest as Iraq struggles to recover from decades of conflict.
    This time, the fighting is among the Shi’ite majority that has ruled Iraq since the 2003 U.S. invasion which toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.
    Sadr has positioned himself as a nationalist who opposes all foreign interference, whether from the United States and the West or from Iran. He commands a thousands-strong militia and has millions of loyal supporters across the country. His opponents, longtime allies of Tehran, control dozens of paramilitary groups heavily armed and trained by Iranian forces.
    Sadr and his opponents have long dominated state institutions and run large parts of the Iraqi state.
    (Production: Ahmed Saeed, Charlotte Bruneau, Lara Afghani)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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