A protest over electricity shortages in Iraq's southern port city of Basra turned deadly on Saturday with troops fatally shooting one demonstrator, AP quoted police officials as saying, underscoring rising tension over the country's lack of basic services. Elsewhere in Iraq, officials said gunmen sped up to a checkpoint and opened fire Saturday, killing three anti-al-Qaida fighters. The unrest came a day after more than 30 people were killed in a wave of violence targeting government officials, Iraqi security forces and those seen as allied with them. Police in Basra said one protester died and three were wounded when security forces opened fire on the demonstrators. They said five protesters were arrested. Hundreds rallied outside Basra's provincial council building, demanding a more consistent electricity supply to their homes and businesses and carrying banners reading: «Return electricity to us» and «Prison is more comfortable than our homes.» Police said they tried to control the crowd but protesters started throwing stones at the council building and set fire to a guard's cabin, prompting the troops to open fire. They said shots were first fired into the air to disperse the crowd, but that failed to stop the violence. In a statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asked the people of Basra to remain calm and said he was sending a delegation of officials to Basra to address the city's electricity problems. Anger over the government's failure to provide public services more than seven years after the U.S.-led invasion has been high. Iraqis have been plagued with severe electricity outages that worsen as summer temperatures soar above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). They have also been suffering from water shortages and poor water quality due to low levels and high sedimentation in the rivers. -- SPA
