At least one person was killed when an arms dump exploded in Kufa, a stronghold of the radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. At least nine people were wounded, witnesses and hospital sources said.
Doctors and witnesses said the casualties were members of Sadr's Mehdi Army militia. Militiamen loyal to Sadr prevented reporters from getting close to the area. Sadr launched an uprising two months ago and his militia fought skirmishes with occupying troops in Shia towns in central and southern Iraq.
But last week the Shia cleric ordered his militiamen in Kufa and the nearby holy city of Najaf to disarm.
In return, the US military said it was suspending offensive operations against Sadr. In a statement, the US army said its forces were not operating in the area at the time of the explosion. It said there was no information on casualties.