Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces have fired tear gas directly at the demonstrators' heads on several occasions since the demonstrations resumed on October 25, killing at least 16 people, Human Rights Watch confirmed.

The death toll is the highest since demonstrations began in Baghdad and other southern cities, Amnesty said.

According to a report issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) on 5 November, between October 25 and November 4, at least 97 people were killed, but the Independent High Commission for Human Rights in Iraq put the death toll at 105 and wounded 5655 at least during the same period.

"The death toll includes people hit by tear gas canisters directly in their heads," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The number indicates a grotesque pattern and it's not isolated incidents. With the death toll now exceeding 100, as all of Iraq's global partners should be clear in their condemnation. "