Tatar residents protest power allocation to neighboring Kered district

DHI QAR, Iraq — Residents of Tatar district blocked roads with burning tires to protest the transfer of their electricity allocation to the neighboring Kered district. They accused authorities of redirecting power meant for their area. Residents held a large march on Wednesday evening, according to a field reporter. The protest followed demonstrations in Kered on Sunday and Monday over poor electricity supply, during which some streets were closed and demonstrators called for the removal of Dhi Qar Electricity Director Mohammed Ruwaidi. Two protesters were injured when security forces intervened. Electricity supply hours have declined across Iraq in recent weeks, with outages reported in some areas as temperatures remain high. The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity attributed the reduced supply to interference with the power grid and lower gas deliveries because of the war in the region. Authorities have called for cooperation to address the crisis.