Iraq: Muqtada al-Sadr supporters storm parliament again

At least 60 people have been injured as protesters stormed the Iraqi parliament for the second time in a week.

The supporters of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr again breached the high-security Green Zone in Baghdad, as they oppose the nomination of a pro-Iran rival candidate for prime minister.

Mr Sadr's block won the most seats last October, but it is not in power due to a political deadlock.

Six of the injured were in serious conditions, a ministry statement said.

The protesters have vowed to occupy parliament until further notice, AFP news agency reports.

The initially massed at the end of a bridge leading to the closely guarded Green Zone - which is home to a number of the capital city's most important buildings, including embassies.

But dozens of them tore down concrete barriers protecting the area and ran inside parliament where they waved Iraqi flags and pictures of Mr Sadr.

Iraq's current prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, instructed the security forces to "protect the demonstrators".

He called on protesters to "maintain their peaceful move, avoid escalation and abide by the directives of the security forces whose goal is to protect them, and to protect official institutions".

The unrest come after nine months of stalemate, during which disputes between the country's different political factions have prevented the creation of a new government.

Mr Sadr, a Shia cleric who wants to end US and Iranian influence over Iraq's internal affairs, claimed victory for his nationalist Saeroun movement following October's election.

But it has proved impossible since then to build a new governing coalition, as Mr Sadr has refused to work with rivals.

He and his supporters have opposed the candidacy of Mohammed al-Sudani for prime minister, as they believe him to be too close to Iran.