Baghdad - Thousands of Iraqis including members of the security forces defied a strict government ceasefire order to welcome their football squad's Asian Cup victory on Sunday with a barrage of gunfire.
Soldiers, police and civilian gunmen loosed off long volleys of automatic fire skywards and into the waters of the Tigris within seconds of the final whistle in Jakarta, where Iraq's national side beat Saudi Arabia 1-0.
Earlier, Baghdad security authorities had imposed an overnight vehicle curfew in order to prevent insurgent car bomb attacks and ordered police to arrest anyone who took part in the traditional celebratory gunfire.
Nevertheless, troops and cops were among the first to start pumping out rounds from their AK-47 assault rifles and Glock pistols at checkpoints and barracks in the centre of the war-torn capital.
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Armed citizens and private security guards shot from the roofs of buildings in the downtown Karkh and Rusafa districts, where river bridges were eerily empty as Iraqis obeyed the curfew and watched the match at home or in cafes.
Large crowds did gather at some road junctions however, waving flags.
On Wednesday, following Iraq's semi-final victory over South Korea, car bombs killed at least 50 celebrating fans and wounded more than 120 others, while stray celebratory fire cut down at least two more bystanders.
The Iraqi team's progress in the tournament has been a rare source of shared national celebration in a country beset by violence and rifts between Sunni and Shi'a, Arab and Kurdish communities. - Sapa-AFP
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