Gunmen attack TV offices in Baghdad amid popular unrest
Unknown gunmen have attacked the offices of television stations in the Iraqi capital amid the unrest gripping the country.
The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel says masked gunmen who arrived in black cars wearing black clothes stormed the offices of the station in Abu Nawas street Saturday evening, beat up some of the employees and smashed equipment before they fled.
Majed Hamid, the channel's correspondent in Baghdad, said several colleagues were injured. He added that the station had been receiving threats for several days.
Gunmen also attacked the offices of Iraq's Dajla and NRT news channels in Baghdad, according to employees at the stations. Both of those stations are privately owned.
Iraq has been gripped by violence since Tuesday when anti-government protests started. Security forces have fired live ammunition and tear gas in a desperate attempt to suppress them.
The death toll from mass protests in Baghdad and cities across southern Iraq rose to almost 100 on Saturday as the unrest entered its fifth day, the Iraqi parliament's human rights commission said.
More than 4,000 people have also been injured since the protests against chronic unemployment, poor public services and widespread corruption.
A total of 540 demonstrators have been arrested, of whom nearly 200 remain in custody.
