Several Iranians Injured in Armed Conflict on the Pilgrimage Route to Karbala

Two armed conflicts occurred in the past 24 hours on the route of pilgrims walking to the city of Karbala for the religious ceremony of 'Arbaeen', during which several Iranians were injured. According to a statement released by the 'Joint Operations Command of Iraq', on the evening of Wednesday, August 31, an armed conflict took place in the Al-Zarqa area of Najaf province, located along the pilgrimage route, between two tribes, resulting in at least one death and six injured pilgrims. The statement indicated that some of the injured were Iranian. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior also announced that at least 50 individuals involved in this armed conflict were arrested. Another conflict occurred early Thursday, September 1, between a group affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-backed coalition, and Iraqi army forces about five kilometers from the city of Karbala amidst a large crowd of pilgrims. The Joint Operations Command of Iraq confirmed the news of the clash between army forces and the armed group 'Jund al-Imam', part of the PMF coalition, emphasizing that this conflict 'will not disrupt the Arbaeen pilgrimage ceremony'. Additionally, the French news agency reported that the clash occurred among a large crowd of pilgrims near one of the Iraqi army's checkpoints, during which at least six PMF members involved in the incident were arrested. An Iraqi official, who requested anonymity, told the French news agency that 'the incident occurred about five kilometers from the center of Karbala.' According to this official from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, 'the conflict began after four vehicles belonging to the PMF attempted to pass through an army checkpoint, trying to use the designated route for pilgrims. However, army forces prevented the vehicles from passing and fired warning shots, which led to a reaction from the armed individuals in the four vehicles.' No one was injured in this incident, but a PMF official told the French news agency that 'a security force from the PMF was dispatched to the scene and arrested six members of the Jund al-Imam group involved in the conflict.' According to official statistics, from August 7 until now, about 2.9 million people have entered Iraq to participate in the Arbaeen ceremony, most of whom are Iranian. In recent years, the Islamic Republic has encouraged people to march or travel to Karbala, the city where the third Imam of Shia Muslims is buried, through extensive propaganda and financial and non-financial incentives.