Masked gunmen opened fire at Iraqi protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Tuesday, killing 18 people and wounding hundreds, security officials said, in one of the deadliest single attacks on protesters since anti-government demonstrations erupted earlier this month.
The attack, which happened overnight, came as Iraqis took to the streets for a fifth consecutive day, protesting their government's corruption, lack of services and other grievances.
The bloodshed in Karbala, a major pilgrimage site where a revered Shiite figure was killed in a 7th century battle, could mark a turning point in the demonstrations.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, and protesters said they did not know whether the masked men were riot police, special forces or Iran-linked militias.
The protesters said Iraqi soldiers had been stationed around the protest site but withdrew after the attackers began firing tear gas and live fire.
The provincial governor, Nassif al-Khutabi, denied that any protesters were killed but said there were some injuries among security forces.
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He said videos that had spread online were fabricated and not from Karbala.
Footage circulating online purporting to show the aftermath of the attack showed fires and people running away to the backdrop of heavy gunfire.
The protests across Iraq, leaderless and largely spontaneous, have been met with bullets and tear gas by security forces from the first day.
At least 73 protesters not including the latest fatalities in Karbala have been killed since anti-government demonstrations resumed on Friday, after 149 were killed during an earlier wave of protests this month.
Tuesday's attack happened in Karbala's Education Square, where protesters had set up tents for their sit-in.
One of the demonstrators said they were chanting slogans when an army unit arrived, and that they gave the soldiers flowers and had friendly interactions with them.
Then tear gas canisters came spiralling into the square, fired from the streets and alleys behind the soldiers, who then withdrew.
"We saw masked men dressed all in black and they fired live bullets toward the square," the protester said.
"People fell dead and wounded right next to me. We tried to escape but when we fled into the alleys we ran into moving checkpoints set up by these forces. They arrested people and searched their phones for video of what had happened."
The protests have grown and demonstrators are now calling for sweeping changes, not just the government's resignation. P