Iraqi security forces killed one person and wound 24 at an anti-government protest in Baghdad on Sunday, a police source said.
The person was killed by birdshot fired from a hunting rifle and some of the injuries were caused by birdshot and tear gas, the source told Reuters.
The Baghdad military operations office has said that armed groups were using hunting rifles to target security forces and anti-government protesters to create chaos.
The United Nations warned in February that armed factions are shooting hunting rifles loaded with birdshot at peaceful protesters in Baghdad.
Security forces and armed groups have shot dead hundreds of mostly unarmed demonstrators. Around 500 people have been killed in unrest since October, most of them protesters, according to a Reuters tally from medics and police.
The number of protesters has reduced somewhat, but demonstrations continue on a daily basis.
The rallies, which first demanded jobs and services, quickly turned into calls for the removal of Iraq’s entire ruling elite.
