Shafaq News – Maysan (Updated at 20:30)

At least 13 people were killed or injured in a violent tribal clash in a rural border area north of Maysan, sources said on Saturday.

According to the sources, gunfire erupted between two tribes over a disputed farmland plot, leaving six dead and seven wounded. Medical staff said the toll is preliminary and could rise due to critical injuries.

In a later statement, the Maysan Operations Command outlined that the dispute occurred within the Ali al-Gharbi district, a border zone between Maysan and Wasit provinces.

Security forces were quickly deployed to contain the situation, leading to the arrest of several individuals involved and the seizure of vehicles and firearms used during the clash.

Arms proliferation among Iraqi tribal groups remains a grave challenge. Estimates suggest there are millions of light and medium weapons outside state control, largely in regions like Maysan, Basra and Dhi Qar.

The culture of immediate armed self-defense, combined with weak enforcement of weapons laws and longstanding feuds over land, resources and political influence, means even minor disputes regularly escalate into deadly clashes.

Read more: "Centralizing Weapons in State Hands" Initiative in Iraq: challenges and benefits