Iraq: Sunni funerals draws thousands in Fallujah
Iraqis take part in the funeral of one of people killed by Iraqi troops the day before during a protest in the town of Fallujah, west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad on January 26, 2013. The deaths in the predominantly Sunni town were the first since protests began last month, and came as tens of thousands rallied in Sunni areas of the country, railing against alleged targeting of their minority by the Shiite-led authorities.
Thousands of Iraqis today attended funerals of Sunni demonstrators a day after several were killed by government troops, violence that looks to have deepened growing popular anger against the country's Shiite leadership, said BBC News.
Mourners gathered in the predominantly Sunni city of Fallujah for the ceremony and then renewed their protests against the government, said BBC.
Local health officials told CNN on Friday that government forces fired on the protesters as they called for the resignation of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. At least five people were reported killed and scores wounded, said Reuters.
The bloodshed likely reinforced the sense of injustice felt by Iraq's Sunni population, a group that says the Shiite government discrimminates against them.
Sunnis have been at the forefront of mass demonstrations against authorities in recent weeks.
Protesters accuse al-Maliki of poor leadership and say his administration has an anti-Sunni agenda, according to Reuters.
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