Karbala Police Commander, Major General "Ahmed Zwaini," announced, on Monday, that 30,000 security personnel will participate in securing the 10th of Muharram events.
In a press conference, Zwaini said, "More than 30,000 security personnel will be deployed in the holy city of Karbala to secure the pilgrims converging to the holy shrines of Imam Al-Hussein and his brother Abi Al-Fadhl Al-Abbas (peace be upon them),".
"There also will be reinforcements from the interior and defense ministries," he added "as well as formations on the external checkpoints, rural roads, and desert areas."
For his part, the governor of Babylon, Hassan Mandil, said in a statement to local news outlets, "Our procedures will reduce the number of arrivals to Karbala province, as the upcoming Ashura pilgrimage will be for locals only."
The Governor of Baghdad, Muhammad Jaber Al-Atta, said in a press release, “We are in harmony with the commemoration of the pilgrimage, but now there is an exceptional circumstance due to the spread of the pandemic,” adding “Although the pilgrimage is important, the lives of the pilgrims are also important, and we must abide by the directives of the Supreme Committee of Health and Safety, while the movement between provinces are central decisions."
