An Iraqi military officer and six soldiers were wounded on Wednesday as rockets hit Baghdad’s Green Zone, after parliament met for its first session in two months.
At least three rockets hit the heavily fortified seat of government as MPs gathered under tight security.
The parliamentary sessions were suspended in late July after an intervention from Moqtada Al Sadr, who was disgruntled over his failure to form a government.
The influential Shiite cleric ordered his supporters to break into the legislative body to derail the formation of a government by his rivals.
Politicians voted against the resignation of Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al Halbousi and elected a Deputy Speaker. But outside of the Green Zone, large crowds of Sadrist protesters gathered near concrete walls surrounding the government centre, moving on to Jumhuriyah bridge — which was a scene of bloodshed during anti-government protests in 2019, when hundreds of protesters were killed.
By early evening, Mr Al Sadr's supporters had moved an armoured bulldozer to the area but were forced to retreat when security forces fired teargas.
Similar scenes played out in Basra, where protesters briefly took over a large government complex, before being forced out by riot police. There were no reports of casualties in the southern port city.
Analysts and politicians said the move may serve as a vote of confidence for Mr Al Halbousi, a former ally to Mr Al Sadr. He is seeking to strengthen his position in the negotiations to form a new government with other factions.
Mr Al Halbousi’s resignation was rejected by 222 out of 235 MPs who attended, renewing his mandate.
Shortly after the session, rockets landed inside the Green Zone, a security official said.
The UN mission to Iraq (Unami) called for calm and restraint.
"We call on all to refrain from intimidation, threats and violence. There are solutions. But for solutions to see daylight, constructive and timely dialogue is essential," Unami said in a statement.
Iraqi security forces sealed off the main bridges and roads leading to the Green Zone on Tuesday night. This happened after Mr Al Sadr's supporters called for protests in Baghdad and some of the country's provinces on social media.
“We warn the legislative authority not to hold the session and not to form a government that will be a tool in the hands of the corrupt political parties and rogue militias,” an unidentified man flanked by a group of others in Baghdad's Kadhimiya district said in a video, one of many published by Sadrists from across Iraq.
New blast walls have been erected around the Green Zone, which is home to many state institutions. In some sections, two lines of blast walls have been erected.
Dozens of protesters converged on Baghdad's Tahrir Square, holding Iraqi flags and chanting pro-Iraq slogans with no mention of Mr Al Sadr.
“Whatever it takes, we will stop them, the people are still strong,” they chanted.
The security measures jammed traffic in the capital, forcing many Iraqis to walk.
Wednesday's session came after nearly a year of political deadlock that followed a bitterly disputed election result and mounting violence.
The October national elections were the fifth parliamentary vote for a full-term government since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Mr Al Halbousi, a young Sunni leader, made significant gains in the elections. These allowed him and the Kurdistan Democratic Party to team up with Mr Al Sadr to form a majority government.
But the process has repeatedly stalled after a coalition of mainly Iran-linked parties, the Co-ordination Framework, mounted legal challenges and boycotts of parliament sessions.
Mr Al Sadr ordered his MPs to resign and withdraw from the government formation in protest, leaving Mr Al Halbousi and the Kurdish Democratic Party to find new allies.
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Sweet%20Tooth
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RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE%20SPECS
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THREE
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Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5