ANKARA

At least 424 people have been killed and 8,758 injured in anti-government protests in Iraq that began in early October, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

In its latest report released Wednesday, titled Demonstrations in Iraq: 2nd update, 5 November - 9 December 2019, UNAMI said 170 protestors were killed and 2,264 others were wounded between these dates.

UNAMI said its preliminary findings indicated that "unlawful, improper and excessive use of (lethal and less-lethal) force, as well as ill-treatment and violations of procedural rights of arrested demonstrators", occurred during the period covered by the report.

"The government did not permit UNAMI to obtain official hospital statistical data concerning demonstrations-related casualties or visit hospitals to interview victims," it said.

UNAMI’s previous report titled Demonstrations in Iraq: update, 25 October - 4 November 2019, which covered the second wave of protests in Iraq, had said 97 protestors were killed.

In the first wave of protests, 157 protestors were killed and 5,494 others wounded, according to its earliest report.

Iraq has been rocked by mass protests since early October over poor living conditions and corruption, forcing Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to resign.