Two Iraqi protesters shot dead as unrest intensifies

In Iraq's mostly rural south, schools and public offices have been severely affected with many students and teachers leading rallies and sit-ins outside public offices. The education ministry has issued a directive that classes resume Sunday, the first day of the school and work week in Iraq. But protesters in Nasiriyah defied the ministry and shut down schools anyway, AFP's correspondent said. In the oil-rich southern city of Basra, demonstrators blocked main roads just before dawn, including those leading to the ports of Umm Qasr and Khor al-Zubair. The ports, which bring in food and medicine to Iraq but also export fuel products, have seen some delays in loading and offloading due to the unrest in recent weeks. Clashes also pitted protesters against security forces in Karbala, one of Iraq's two Shiite holy cities. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://www.spreaker.com/user/vinoudsreera