Green Zone stormed

Thousands of angry protesters broke into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone yesterday and stormed the Iraqi parliament building after lawmakers again failed to approve new ministers.

Jubilant supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr invaded the main session hall, shouting slogans glorifying their leader and claiming that they had rooted out corruption.

The Iraqi capital was already on high alert for a major Shia pilgrimage, participants in which were targeted in a bombing that killed 23 yesterday, but extra security measures were taken after protesters stormed the Green Zone.

Besides the parliament compound, the restricted area in central Baghdad houses the presidential palace, the prime minister's office and several embassies, including those of the United States and Britain.

Protesters attached cables to the tops of heavy concrete blast walls that surround the Green Zone, pulling them down to create an opening, an AFP journalist said.

They then headed to parliament, where some rampaged through the building and broke into offices, while other protesters shouted "peacefully, peacefully" and tried to contain the destruction, another AFP reporter said.

Security forces were present but did not try to prevent the demonstrators from entering the parliament building, the reporter said.

Protesters pulled barbed wire across a road leading to one of the exits of the Green Zone, effectively preventing some scared lawmakers from fleeing the chaos.

They also attacked and damaged several vehicles they believed belonged to lawmakers.

Inside the main hall where lawmakers failed to reach a quorum earlier in the day, protesters sat in the MPs' seats taking "selfies" and shouting slogans.

The Green Zone unrest kicked off as Sadr ended a news conference in the holy Shia city of Najaf during which he condemned the political deadlock. He had threatened to have his supporters storm the Green Zone last month, but did not order them to enter the area in his yesterday's address.

Key government posts have for years been shared out based on political and sectarian quotas, a practice demonstrators want to end.

Abadi's efforts to change the system have been opposed by powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.

According to officials in the interior ministry, the main entrances to Baghdad were temporarily closed.