BAGHDAD

Angry protesters torched the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, according to eyewitnesses.

The incident took place on Sunday evening in protest of a Twitter post by a Kurdish writer critical of Iraq’s leading Shia cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Hundreds of demonstrators stormed the party's headquarters, which was empty at the time, and set it ablaze, witnesses said.

Iraqi media said a group affiliated with Shia militias was responsible for the attack, but without naming it.

For its part, the KDP on Monday strongly condemned the Kurdish writer's tweet, considering it an insult to all religious authorities.

"It is no secret to anyone that the leadership of the KDP has the utmost respect and appreciation for all rational religious authorities and honorable clerics and constantly advises its members and cadres to respect all Islamic authorities and other religions."

The party also underlined that it believes in religious coexistence, adding that the writer had no relationship or affiliation with the party and that “his tweet represents his personal opinion.”

The Iraqi authorities did not issue any immediate comment on the incident.

The Kurdish writer has since posted a follow up tweet apologizing for al-Sistani for what he termed as a “misunderstanding”, while also deleting his earlier tweet.

Al-Sistani, who is known for not meddling in the country’s political matters, is widely respected by Iraqis, especially in the country’s Shia majority provinces.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar