ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi relevant authorities have taken measures to ensure the provision of security, transportation, and medical services in the city of Karbala ahead of Saturday’s Ashura rituals.

Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims annually undertake a pilgrimage to the southern Iraqi city of Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Hijri calendar, to mark Ashura, a day of mourning commemorating the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the deserts of Karbala in the seventh century.

The rituals take place throughout the first 10 days of the month, but the main ceremonies are held on Ashura, which falls on Saturday, July 5, this year.

Speaking in Karbala on Saturday, Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari stressed that the holy Shiite city and its surroundings “are fully secured, and that a flexible plan is in place” ahead of Ashura ceremonies.

The minister directed the General Directorate of Traffic “to work in coordination with other formations to ensure a high degree of fluidity in the movement of mourners and to avoid road closures,” according to a statement from his office.

He also called for wide deployment of civil defense teams and vehicles to accommodate the needs of the large number of visitors arriving in the Shiite holy city.

The Iraqi transport ministry announced that a service plan, which includes thousands of vehicles, 200 buses, and several trains –the number of which depends on the number of visitors-, has been launched to transport pilgrims from other parts of Iraq to Karbala to participate in the rituals.

The health ministry also revealed that 200 ambulances and mobile medical teams have been readied to serve the visitors in Karbala, also noting that hospitals and health centers have been allocated to provide medical services for the visitors around the clock.

“The Ministry of Health is ready to provide all urgent, routine, and emergency health services to the visitors,” said minister Saleh al-Hasnawi.

More than six million visitors arrived in Karbala to commemorate Ashura in 2024, according to Karbala’s provincial council.