36 Dead in Iraq

Iraqi security forces backed by helicopters raided a protest camp before dawn Tuesday, prompting clashes that killed at least 36 people in the area .

The fighting broke out in the former insurgent stronghold of Hawija, about 240 kilometers (160 miles) north of Baghdad.

In an apparent response to the morning raid, militants tried to storm two army posts in the nearby town of Rashad, and six of them were killed, according to the Defense Ministry. Seven other militants were killed while trying to attack military positions in another town, Riyadh, according to police and hospital officials.

Outrage also spread through other  parts of the country, including the western Anbar province, where demonstrators took to the streets and clashed with police.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki swiftly announced the formation of a special ministerial committee to investigate what happened in Hawija, underscoring the government’s concern over the incident.

Tensions have been intensifying for months, pressured by protests that began in December. Hawija was the site of some of the fiercest fighting between U.S. and Iraqi forces who faced frequent deadly attacks by al-Qaida in Iraq and other insurgents.

As news of Tuesday’s raid spread, calls went out through mosque loudspeakers in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, urging residents to protest in solidarity with Hawija. About 1,000 protesters took to the streets in the western city, where anger at the government is particularly strong. Some chanted “War, war,” as security forces fanned out in the streets.

In nearby Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, protesters threw stones at a military convoy. One army Humvee was overturned and set ablaze in the clashes, according to witnesses.

Iraq’s Defense Ministry said 23 people were killed in the initial raid on Hawija. Among the dead were an army officer, two soldiers and 20 “militants who were using the demonstration as a safe haven.” Another nine members of the military were wounded, the ministry said in a statement.

The raid occurred four days after a checkpoint jointly run by the police and army near Hawija came under attack, and militants seized a number of weapons before retreating into the crowd of protesters, according to the Defense Ministry.

That led to a standoff with security forces, at times, trying to negotiate with local and tribal officials the handover of those involved in the raid.

M.D