Iraqi security forces fired shots in the air during a clash among themselves Thursday in the holy Shiite Muslim city of Karbala ahead of one of the world's biggest religious gatherings, security officials said.
The incident involved the Iraqi army and members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, mainly pro-Iran Shiite former paramilitaries integrated into the Iraqi security forces, an interior ministry official told AFP under cover of anonymity due to the issue's sensitivity.