ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – At least 13 people were reportedly killed in a tribal dispute over a piece of land in southern Iraq’s Maysan province, with authorities announcing that they have intervened to control the situation.

A security source speaking to The New Region on condition of anonymity said on Saturday that clashes erupted in northern Maysan’s Ali al-Gharbi district, near the border with Wasit province, between the al-Ma’amra and al-Rifai’i clans over the ownership of half a dunam of land.

The altercations, which continued for hours and saw the use of light weapons, sparked anxiety and fear among the area’s residents, according to the source, adding that at least 13 people have been killed and several others injured.

The security source confirmed that local authorities and security services intervened to disperse the crowd, and have launched “an urgent investigation” into the incident.

The Maysan Police Command said that the conflict was over “disputes related to water shares and agricultural lands,” adding that security forces “intervened immediately and decisively to control the situation.”

A number of vehicles and firearms used in the clashes have been seized, and several suspects have been arrested for their involvement and will be subjected to legal action, according to the police.

Illegal weapons in Iraq stand out as one of the most pressing challenges to security and stability, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani repeatedly pledging to address the issue beyond the scope of official and legitimate state institutions in his government program.

Unofficial data puts the number of arms within the Iraqi society at around 15 million medium and light weapons, with armed groups and tribes possessing the bulk of them.

In March, the interior ministry said that it would continue to buy medium-range weapons from the public as part of the government’s efforts to confine arms to the state, while announcing the extension of a nationwide process for registering arms owned by civilians until the end of this year.