Turmoil in Iraq

Clashes between rival Shiite groups threaten to 'destabilize a frail state even further'

Iraq.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

Earlier this week, at least 30 people were killed in Baghdad during clashes between protesters who support the influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, rival Shiite factions backed by Iran, and government security forces. Officials say this was the worst violence in Iraq's capital in years. Here's everything you need to know:

Why are Muqtada al-Sadr's supporters protesting?

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.