ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Protests were held across several neighborhoods in Kirkuk late Sunday over increased electricity prices charged by private generators, leaving six police officers injured.

The protests took place two days after the price per ampere from private generators was raised.

The protesters said they were unable to pay their October electricity bills, according to The New Region’s correspondent, who added that they had blocked streets by setting fires.

“We haven’t seen [had] national [grid electricity]. It is available four or five hours a day, no more than that. Then they turn on all the [private] generators. After midnight, there is no electricity and the generators are turned off. You may think it’s a graveyard. All of Kirkuk is like a graveyard,” one of the protesters told The New Region.

A source from Kirkuk’s police told The New Region that six police officers had been injured after protesters threw stones at them.

Acting Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha called for a meeting on Monday with the Provincial Council and other relevant authorities to address the issue, The New Region has learned.

Following the meeting, the Kirkuk Center District Administration issued a directive lowering the price per ampere from 18,000 to 15,000 Iraqi dinars. “All instructions or previous decisions that conflict with this decision are hereby repealed,” the directive read.

The price increase came after electricity supplied through Kirkuk’s national grid decreased last month. Private generator owners received enough diesel to operate for 190 hours, while they provided 300 hours of electricity, according to information obtained by The New Region.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have long suffered from electricity shortages.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has made strides to address the issue with the landmark Runaki Project, which currently provides round-the-clock electricity to the Kurdistan Region.

Erbil has repeatedly expressed its willingness to share its experience with Baghdad in addressing its long-standing electricity crisis.