Hackers have broken into the official website of the embattled Iraqi prime minister, calling him an "oppressor."

Nouri al-Malik is facing a surge of protests by Iraq's Sunni minority, tensions with the autonomous Kurdish region and discontent among fellow Shiites.

A statement on his website Saturday compared him to Bashar Assad, the Syrian leader who brutally cracked down on an uprising against him that has turned into a civil war.

The statement by "Team Kuwait Hackers" told the Iraqi leader, "You want to be like Bashar Assad ... Bashar is over."

The message was accompanied by a picture of wailing black-clad women in mourning. It was up for several hours until the site was taken down.

Telephone calls to al-Maliki's office went unanswered.