Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has announced that his Mahdi Army is to stand down for six months pending reorganization in order to "honor the principles for which it is formed."

Sadr’s followers have recently killed or attacked many at Karbala’s shrines, which triggered a harsh response from Iraqi security forces and guards. At least 52 people have been killed at the southern shrine. The Mahdi Army also attacked mosque guards, some of whom are linked to the rival Badr Brigade militia. However, the Mahdi Army denies starting off the deadly fights at Karbala and blames the escalation of violence on pro-Iranian groups among security forces that guard the Karbala shrines.

"We declare the freezing of the Mahdi Army without exception in order to rehabilitate it in a way that will safeguard its ideological image within a maximum period of six months starting from the day this statement is issued," said Sheik Hazim al-Araji, al-Sadr’s aide, on Iraqi state television.

The Mahdi Army, formed after the U.S. occupation of Iraq in 2003, is the most active and feared armed Shiite group in the country. Its main purposes are to retaliate against the Sunnis following their attacks on civilians and to fight against the occupation troops. Moqtada al-Sadr is believed to be hiding in Iran. The Mahdi Army is also known as the Mahdi Militia or Jaish al Mahdi and spearheaded in April 2004 the first major armed confrontation against the U.S-led occupation forces in Iraq from the Shi'ite community.