Clashes between security forces and Shiite militants left behind at least 25 dead persons and dozens more injured in Karbala, Iraqi media reported on Tuesday.

Police and hospital sources said thirteen people were killed and 42 wounded since Monday, but the reports weren’t confirmed yet by officials.

After intense gunbattles broke out between police officers and militants, the authorities decided to evacuate all the pilgrims from two shrines in central Karbala and tighten security across the city about 100 km southwest of Baghdad.

At least eight people were killed on Tuesday, while clashes that took place during the night took five lives, medical officials said.

People from all over the region gathered at two holy sites in Karbala, but their peaceful reunion soon turned into mayhem and chaos. Reports from the city said policemen even used mortar shells in their fight with Shiite gunmen.

A prominent member of the movement led by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr urged people to remain calm and made a call to the gunmen to lay down their weapons in order to avoid more bloodshed.

The head of al-Sadr’s office in Karbala, Sheikh Abdul-Hadi al-Mohamadawi reportedly said all Shiites must follow “the orders of leader Moqtada al-Sadr who preached that Muslims should not kill Muslims.”

The clashes erupted after gunmen tried to approach the shrines of Imams al-Hussein and al-Abbas, but were stopped by security forces. That was the point when the Shiite militants indiscriminately opened fire and sparked a fierce firefight.
 
Pilgrims were attacked in several rows by groups of armed men, the latest attack leaving behind two dead. Militants opened fire on a bus that was traveling on the road between Karbala and the Iraqi capital, close to the city of Alexandria.

Groups of Shia Muslims began their journey towards one of their holiest cities in Iraq last week and were targeted several times by gunmen. Approximately four million people are expected to arrive in Karbala by Wednesday when they will mark the birth of al-Imam al-Mahdi, who is considered by Shiites to be “the ultimate savior of mankind.”

Access points were heavily guarded and a curfew on vehicles was imposed on Sunday in Karbala and other cities, including Baghdad. About 11,000 servicemen were deployed to Karbala, while additional coalition troops have been stationed arround the city in order to provide assistance if needed.

In other developments, the US military informed on Tuesday that 33 insurgents were killed during operations carried out in Khalis over the night. The operation was aimed at opening “the spillway, which regulates water flow to the town of Khalis, restoring the essential service of water.”

The troops were forced to retaliate after being reportedly attacked by militants that have intensified their activity in the Diyala province.