Karbala, Iraq, August 28, 2007: Riots broke out between rival Shiite militias during a religious festival in the holy city of Karbala, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims and leaving at least 51 people dead and over 200 wounded.
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Fast Facts
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Karbala police spokesman Raheem Imshawer said the violence began after police attempted to confiscate weapons at the entrance to the area surrounding the shrines to Muhammad al-Mahdi, one of the 12 historical imams revered by many Shiites.
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The fighting broke out between Mahdi Army members loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the Badr Organization, the armed wing of the rival Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council.
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Pilgrims had walked to Karbala, about 70 miles south of Iraq, from across the country to celebrate the birth of Mahdi in what was scheduled to be a two-day festival.
