ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Armed men on Sunday fired live ammunition to disperse a crowd of dozens of protestors demanding employment opportunities in Iraq’s southern oil-rich province of Basra. 

Tensions have risen in Basra after an armed group shot at demonstrators organized by engineering, oil, and science graduates demanding employment opportunities with the oil ministry before the gates of the Basra Oil Company headquarters.

“What happened today constitutes a serious security breach that requires an immediate investigation,” Aqeel al-Furaiji, head of the Basra Security Committee, told The New Region, stressing that the perpetrators will be held accountable “whether they are from the government agencies or any other party.” 

Armed men on Sunday fired live ammunition to disperse a protest by dozens of graduates demanding jobs at the Basra Oil Company. pic.twitter.com/T0fTvIEJNC

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Abu Hassan al-Shawi, a civil activist and protest leader, told The New Region that Basra’s local authorities are “incapable of providing graduates with the most basic rights and job opportunities worthy of the degrees they hold,” but they routinely fire shots to disperse protesters. 

“This scene shows disregard for the lives of Basra residents and demonstrates the complete dominance of militias and political parties over local decision-making,” he lamented, describing the incident as “a true farce and an insult to Basra’s youth, who were only asking for jobs within oil companies.” 

Basra’s police said they are investigating the matter. 

Iraqi youth, particularly in the south, routinely protest for better services and infrastructure, as well as employment in the public sector.