ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Armed clashes erupted between the Iraqi army and militants affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the early hours of Thursday at a checkpoint outside Karbala, an Iraqi army officer confirmed to The New Region.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the Iraqi army officer detailed that the brief skirmish broke out after the Iraqi army prevented a group of armed men affiliated with Jund al-Imam faction from entering Karbala with their weapons, at a time the holy Shiite city is hosting millions of visitors from across the world to commemorate  the Arbaeen pilgrimage. 

“A group of members of the PMF (Jund al-Imam faction) tried to cross a checkpoint with their weapons and enter Karbala," the Iraqi army officer said. "The [Jund al-Imam] members were carrying weapons such as pistols and machine guns."

The clash did not cause any casualties, the source said.

He added that "the Iraqi army prevented them from entering, causing a quarrel between the two parties and it later developed into shooting by the PMF members towards the army."

Jund al-Imam is one of the armed factions affiliated with the PMF. It was founded in 2014 by former spokesperson of the PMF and current Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ahmed al-Asadi, to be the military wing of the Islamic Movement in Iraq.

“A security force from the army and the PMF intervened to prevent the situation from escalating, and those who caused the quarrel were arrested," the source said. “After the intervention of several parties from the PMF officials, the detainees were released.”

For his part Tahseen al-Khafaji, spokesperson for Iraq's Joint Operations Command said those who caused the violence were dealt with according to the law. 

 “What happened yesterday in Karbala… is considered a violation of the law. We dealt with the aggressors according to law.”