Residents in Diyala's Bahraz district protest over services, cemetery shortage

BAQUBA, Iraq — Hundreds of residents in the Bahraz district, south of Diyala, took to the streets on Friday to demand the resolution of long-standing service problems, with protesters telling a local correspondent that the area's only cemetery had reached capacity and a new burial site was urgently needed. Demonstrators submitted a list of 16 service requests to local authorities. The demands included improvements to electricity and drinking water lines, measures to address the effects of drought, the renewal of sewage networks and the resumption of halted development projects. Protesters also called for the completion of the Dawaseer water project, the establishment of a health clinic and a personal-status court, and broader infrastructure upgrades in the district. Demonstrators described the cemetery shortage as one of the most pressing issues facing Bahraz and urged government officials to respond to the demands quickly. No immediate response from local authorities was reported.