Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

UAE airlines have stopped their scheduled flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest that claimed the lives of 30 people.

Dubai's long-haul carrier Emirates stopped their services to Baghdad.

Emirates said, “Due to reports of civil unrest and curfews in Iraq, the following Emirates flights have been cancelled.

EK943/ EK944 to/from Baghdad on 30th August EK941/EK942 to/from Baghdad on 31st August

EK947/948 to/from Basra on 31st August

Customers connecting to Baghdad or Basra will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers.

Emirates is monitoring the situation closely.

Affected customers who have booked with travel agents should contact them for alternative travel arrangements or a refund. Customers who have booked directly with Emirates may contact their local office for rebooking options, or visit emirates.com/refund to request a refund.

Customers can check the latest information on their flights by visiting the flight status page.”

flydubai said in a press statement that due to the developing situation in Baghdad, flydubai flights to/from Baghdad have been cancelled on August 30 and 31.”

The airline said it is monitoring the situation closely.

Supporters of an influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns into Iraq's Green Zone and security forces returned fire, a serious escalation of a monthslong political crisis gripping the nation.

The death toll rose to at least 30 people after two days of unrest, officials said.

Iraqi supporters of powerful cleric Moqtada Sadr began withdrawing on Tuesday from Baghdad's Green Zone after he demanded fighting end between rival forces and the army.