Al-Sadr's supporters gather outside government buildings in Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 29, 2022. Thousands of powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's supporters stormed major Iraqi government buildings in Baghdad, sparking clashes that left at least 12 people killed and dozens wounded late on Monday. Source: Xinhua News Agency/Khalil Dawood

The Chinese Embassy in Iraq on Tuesday issued a notice on its official WeChat account reminding Chinese citizens and institutions in the country to step up security precautions, following escalating protests and bloody clashes in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, on Monday that left at least 20 people dead and dozens injured.

The violence was sparked after Iraqi prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced his retirement from politics. At least 20 people have been killed and dozens more were injured as clashes between Iraqi security forces and supporters of the powerful Shia cleric continued in Baghdad overnight, read the reports from CCTV.

This is the worst violence to hit the Iraqi capital in recent years, and much of the fighting has been concentrated around the city's Green Zone, an area that houses government buildings and foreign embassies, according to BBC reports.

Moreover, Iraq's caretaker prime minister has called for calm and the military has declared a nationwide curfew after unrest in several other cities, read the report.

Chinese companies are actively involved in the post-war reconstruction of Iraq, and more than 10,000 Chinese citizens are in the country, according to a previous report by the Global Times.

The Chinese embassy said in the statement that the current security situation in Iraq is still complex and severe, and demonstrations are taking place frequently.

Chinese citizens and institutions need to abide by local laws and regulations and avoid visiting crowded or sensitive places, said the statement, urging Chinese citizens and institutions to report to the police in time and contact the Chinese embassy in case of emergency.

Global Times