ERBIL - Hundreds of Iraqi civilians staged on Tuesday a sit-in outside the provincial council building as demonstrations against the lack of efficient public services and job opportunities are ongoing in southern parts of the country.

Protesters had set Tuesday as a deadline for the federal government to meet the demands, and they only one day earlier had stopped the country's security troops from dispersing a similar sit-in in Basra's West Qurna 2 oilfields, according to Anadolu Agency.

The news agency added that another sit-in was staged outside Basra's Al-Zubeir oilfield where hundreds of protesters reportedly took part.

"Protests have mushroomed across Basra province as people realize that the government doesn’t care about their grievances," Rafed al-Kinani, one of the protesters outside the provincial council building, told Anadolu Agency by phone.

Protests have been ongoing in the past four weeks in which hundreds of people, including security personnel have been killed or wounded so far.

Basnews