BAGHDAD

Two Iraqi protesters were killed overnight in clashes with security forces in the southern city of Nassiriya, according to a local medical source on Sunday.

The fatalities occurred when security forces opened fire to disperse demonstrators near a security checkpoint in central Nassiriya, witnesses said.

The medical source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 35 people were injured in the violence.

Since early October, Iraq has seen mass popular protests against poor living conditions and corruption. The demands later spiraled into calls for dissolving Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi's government.

According to the Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights, at least 340 Iraqis have been killed and around 15,000 have been injured since the protests began on Oct. 1.