The demonstrators, brandishing portraits of Supreme Assembly for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SAIRI) leader Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Hakim, forced open the gate of the embassy despite attempts by police to hold them back.

The group then entered the embassy building, smashing furniture and tearing up pictures of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein while shouting: "No to Saddam, no to foreign domination."

The embassy appeared to be empty of any Iraqi diplomatic staff, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Several protestors, who presented themselves as members of the Badr Brigade -- SAIRI's armed wing -- also chanted "Death to America".

They collected documents inside the embassy and placed them in a room which was then locked. A small number of SAIRI supporters were seen trying to take away some documents, but were blocked by police.

After around 20 minutes of ransacking, riot police managed to clear the group from the two-floor embassy building and began searching the demonstrators in the garden of the compound for any stolen documents.

With the situation under control, police brought in two buses and drove away the protestors. Officials did not say whether the group had been formally arrested or would be later released after their detention.

SPACE.WIRE