Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki arrived at the holy Shiite city of Karbala on Wednesday for a visit, where sporadic clashes between Shiite militiamen and security forces continue after previous ones killed at least 52 and wounded over 300.
Early in the morning, Maliki paid a visit to Karbala, some 110 km south of Baghdad, to meet with local officials to restore order in the city during a Shiite religious festival to celebrate the birth of a revered Imam, the official Iraqia television reported.
The prime minister also ordered an indefinite curfew from 11:00 am (0700 GMT) Wednesday, said the TV channel.
The visit came after two days of clashes, which have claimed the lives of some 52 people and wounded more than 300 others, according to the latest police reports.
On Monday night, the holy city of Karbala became the scene of turmoil when clashes broke out between pilgrims and security forces near the holy shrine of Imam Hussein and the adjacent shrine of his brother Imam Abbas, the police said.
The clashes broke out after pilgrims and gunmen attacked a security checkpoint near the shrines, killing four people and wounding some 20 others, according to local police.
The clashes continued on Tuesday, during which many police vehicles, ambulances and civilian cars were destroyed, and the town sank into chaos with hundreds of pilgrims running in all directions to avoid the heavy shootout and explosions of rocket- propelled grenades near the holy shrine, the police said.
Iraqi security forces imposed a curfew on Tuesday in Karbala and ordered dozens of thousands of pilgrims to leave the city.
On Wednesday morning, sporadic clashes between Iraqi security forces and militias could still be heard near the holy shrine area, but the security forces are slowly taking control on the central parts of the city, a local police source told Xinhua.
A statement issued by Maliki's office on late Tuesday blamed the chaos on "criminal outlaw gangs from the remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime."
It said that "security forces had now taken control of Karbala city after the arrival of military reinforcements and deployment of the army, police and rapid intervention forces."
Thousands of Shiite pilgrims are converging in Karbala to celebrate the 9th century birth of Muhammad al-Mahdi, the last of 12 Imam most revered by Shiite Muslims.
Source: Xinhua
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