HURRIYAH, Iraq: Thousands of residents of Hurriyah and the neighboring areas took to the streets of Baghdad to protest massacre of several civilians by American military in the city of Hurriyah, Iraq.

According to reports the US troops raided on Monday night two mosques Al-Imam Al-Hasan mosque and Al-Abbas mosque at the time when the two mosques were packed with mourners who were commemorating the anniversary of the death of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure progeny).

Mohammed Abu Rouaa, 31, said he was inside the mosque commemorating the occasion when he heard shots strike the outside of the building, where other people were gathered. More than 20 American soldiers entered, rounded up those inside and took them for questioning to a nearby school, where they remained for about four hours, he said. As he passed by, he saw several people with gunshot wounds lying on the ground outside, he said. Military aircrafts participated in the raid.

Ali Hussein Ali, 36, who said he was leaving the mosque when the troops arrived, said U.S. soldiers began spraying bullets around the area and hitting people at random. He ran for cover in a house, he said, and heard gunfire continue for several hours.

"People were terrified, even we grown-up men," Ali said. "The mosques, through their loudspeakers, started to shout, 'God is greatest,' to calm the people."

The protesters strongly condemned silence on part of the government and the politicians who did not denounce the raid on mourners of holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny).

They were so angry that they demanded from Al-Marjaiyah Ad-Diniyah to allow them to hold arms to protect and defend their holy sites and to secure innocent mourning civilians from being killed.