Maan said the ministry was working with other government institutions to find out who was behind the killings. According to medical sources, the majority of protesters killed were struck by bullets.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi has issued a decree that further integrates the Popular Mobilization Forces, which have proven a decisive force in Baghdad’s counter-terrorism operations, into the country's armed forces.

Washington has granted Iraq another 90-day waiver to allow it to keep importing gas and electricity from neighboring Iran, which is under tough US sanctions, two Iraqi government sources say.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the victory over the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq and Syria was the result of endeavors by the two nations themselves and the United States played no role in defeating the outfit.