Troops were brought into Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Mass protests have been going on in the city for several days, supporters of the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr hold the parliament building. The country's defense ministry says the army "is in the service of the people and does not interfere in politics," local media reported .

“The duty of the security forces is to protect the demonstrators, protect public and private property, prevent any security breaches and stop the actions of intruders who are trying to destabilize security using circumstances,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

During the riots and clashes, more than 100 people, including the military, were injured. The protesters oppose the nomination of Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sudani, demand the dissolution of the legislature and the creation of a transitional government.

As a result of parliamentary elections in October last year, the political forces of Iraq failed to form a new government. In the spring of 2022, the largest bloc led by Muqtada al-Sadr left the parliament.