Powerful Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Monday that he is ending his political career in response to political deadlock in the country. Supporters of the Shiite Muslim cleric who have staged sit-ins for weeks in Baghdad’s so-called Green Zone entered the government palace following the announcement, sparking fears of instability in the country.
Iraq’s army put into place a curfew and urged protesters to leave the Green Zone in an effort to curb violence.
The Associated Press reported Monday that at least 15 protesters were killed as a result of clashes with security forces.
In October’s election, Sadr was the top winner, but failed to form a government that didn’t include his rivals, which lead him to withdraw his lawmakers from Parliament.
This is not the first time Sadr has said he's withdrawing from politics or government. He has previously returned to politics following similar announcements.
This post was produced and edited by Cecilia Lallmann, Matt Rasnic, Julia Griffin, Nicole Ellis and Yasmeen Alamiri.
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