About 104 persons have been killed and some 6,000 others injured following protests in Iraq which began last  week. According to the country’s Interior Ministry, eight of the dead are members of the government’s security forces.

 The clash, believed to the most serious disruption to hit the country since the defeat of Islamic State two years ago has virtually brought the country to a standstill.

Contradicting many eyewitness reports, the ministry’s spokesman, Saad Maan told Iraqi television that no government forces had fired directly at protesters as they had been directed to use rubber to curtail the protests.

 Maan said 6,107 protesters and more than 1,200 members of the security forces have so far been wounded during the demonstrations which have taken place across Baghdad since last week Tuesday. 

Soldiers were seen firing in the direction of about 300 anti-government protesters in a suburb of Baghdad, the country’s capital on Sunday, the sixth day of the demonstrations.

Iraq’s Prime Minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi on Saturday called on protesters to end the unrest, assuring that he would meet them to hear their demands.

The demonstrators are demanding for Abdul-Mahdi’s resignation as Prime Minister and an investigation into the killing of protesters.

Grassroots rallies began as demonstrators, mainly youths took to the streets demanding jobs and an end to corruption. They also called for improvements in basic amenities such as electricity and water.