Clash reported between police and unemployed graduates at Basra oil company

BASRA, Iraq — A clash broke out between unemployed graduates and security forces outside an oil company building in Basra, according to security sources. The confrontation occurred after the graduates gathered at the company's premises and tensions escalated between the two sides. Security forces attempted to remove the protesters from the area, during which brief physical contact and pushing took place, the sources said. The demonstrators also tried to hold a sit-in in front of the company's gate but were prevented from doing so. Basra has seen similar protests in recent months, primarily driven by youth unemployment and demands for public-sector jobs. No injuries or further details were immediately available.