Baghdad: Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Friday condemned recent killings and kidnappings of protesters, urging the state to assert control over the widespread use of weapons.
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He also called on the armed forces to remain professional, loyal to the state and free from foreign influence, a representative of Sistani said during a sermon on Friday in the holy city of Kerbala.
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Armed forces “must be loyal to the nation, and free from foreign interference,” he said.
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Iraq has been rocked anti-government protests for more than two months.
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More than 440 people have been killed since Oct. 1, according to a Reuters tally.
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Sistani, who rarely weighs in on politics except in times of crisis, holds massive influence over public opinion in Shiite majority Iraq.
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Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said he would resign last month after Sistani withdrew his support for the government.
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