Iraq’s Joint Operations Command declared curfew in the capital Baghdad on Monday as supporters of influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the Republican Palace, where the government is seated.
The move came shortly after al-Sadr announced his total withdrawal from politics amid a months-long political crisis in the country.
The Command said the curfew will begin at 15:30 local time (1230 GMT).
For his part, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi suspended Cabinet sessions until further notice, the state news agency INA reported citing a government statement.
Al-Kadhimi’s media office said the move came after protesters stormed the presidential palace.
On Saturday, al-Sadr called on the country’s political parties to step aside and hold early elections to help solve Iraq’s months-long political crisis.
He also called for eliminating all parties and personalities that participated in the political process since the US occupation in 2003, from the political scene in Iraq.
