Iraq: 2 activists assassinated in Maysan province

BAGHDAD, Iraq

An Iraqi security source said on Wednesday that unidentified gunmen assassinated two Iraqi anti-government activists in Maysan province, southern Iraq.

The security source identified the names of activists as Abdel-Aaddous Qasim and Karrar Adil, who were killed in Amarah city.

The security authorities of the city opened an investigation into the incident.

Since the outbreak of the anti-government protests in Iraq, several activists were subject to killing, torture and abduction.

Some activists accuse Shia armed groups, with close ties to Iran, of being behind these incidents. Yet, these groups deny such accusations.

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

More than 600 people have been killed and 17,000 injured in the protests so far, according to the Iraqi rights commission.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara.