Million pilgrims forced to leave because of fighting in Karbala

Around one million pilgrims marking the birth of the last Shiite imam have been ordered by the Iraqi police to leave the city of Karbala. The reason behind this decision is the escalating violence between Al-Mahdi Army and the government security forces. The first in a series of gun battles started on Monday, but continued throughout the following day, prompting police to impose a citywide curfew.
At least 52 people have been killed so far.

Muqtada al-Sadrs Al-Mahdi Army is the biggest armed group in the country, and although its leader is in good relationship with the government, there were indications in the recent months that several senior ground commanders have started to operate independently.
Some speculated that as much as one third of all Al-Mahdi Army members are outside of al-Sadrs direct control.

Read more about the Karbala clashes in the Al Jazeera article.