A bomb exploded Sunday night at a jewelry shop run by a former director of the Japan-Iraq friendship association here, injuring two people and destroying the shop, police said Monday.

Several other nearby shops in central Samawah were damaged, police said.

The blast occurred two days after Anmar Mohssin decided to disband his association due to a bomb threat from Iraqis who are against the deployment of Ground Self-Defense Force troops in Samawah on a reconstruction mission.

On Friday, protesters took to the streets, calling for action to improve the city's utility situation in view of electricity shortages. Some of the demonstrators threatened to bomb the shop of the friendship association head.