Clashes erupted in northern Iraq when security forces raided a rally site used by Sunni demonstrators early on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people and wounding dozens in an escalation likely to enrage protesters who have been rallying against the government for months.
The fighting broke out in the town of Hawijah, about 240 kilometers (160 miles) north of Baghdad. It is one of several overwhelmingly Sunni communities that have been the site of anti-government protests.
The rallies began in December and are presenting a stubborn challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-led government.
