Mass protests continue in Iraq's Kurdish region

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kurdish protestors continued their demonstrations Tuesday in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan amid widespread anger over unpaid salaries and corruption.

Hundreds of protestors took to the streets in at least six cities in the province of Sulaimaniyah in northeastern Iraq.

The protestors torched the local government building in the town of Kwaisanjaq on the provincial border with neighboring Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region.

They also attacked and set fire to the offices of the Kurdish parties, including the major parties of Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), in several cities in Sulaimaniyah.

Protestors threw stones on many government buildings and parties' offices, prompting the security forces to use tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

There are no immediate reports about casualties among the protestors or the security forces.

Hundreds of Kurdish security forces were deployed in the provincial cities, while attempting to avoid clashes with protestors.

On Monday, Kurdish protesters set fire to offices of the regional Kurdish parties and some protestors stoned the security forces guarding the Kurdish offices, sparking clashes with the security forces who used tear gas to disperse the crowds, leaving some 30 people injured and suffocated.

The protests were sparked by frustration over unpaid salaries to teachers and other civil servants, in addition to the deterioration of basic services and widespread corruption.

The provinces of the Kurdistan region have been suffering from financial and economic hardships as a result of disagreement with the federal government in Baghdad over distribution of crude oil revenues extracted from the northern oilfields.

The financial hardship has increased after the Iraqi forces retook control of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk and some other oil wells in the disputed areas on Oct. 16.

Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and the region of Kurdistan after the Kurds held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region and the disputed areas on Sept. 25.

The independence of Kurdistan has been fiercely opposed by the Iraqi central government. Enditem