WATCH: Shia militia weapon depot explodes in Iraq's Karbala

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24)  –  A weapon and ammunition warehouse belonging to the Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militia exploded near the Shia holy city of Karbala, a security source told Kurdistan 24 on Monday.

The warehouse is located at the main entrance of Karbala, on the road linking the holy city to Baghdad.

Firefighters were dispatched to the site of the blast, and no casualties have yet been reported. The cause of the explosion, so far, is unknown.

Local news agencies reported highway heading into the city was closed as a result of the explosion.

Late Sunday night, a military weapon storage facility exploded in Erbil, an incident which has been witnessed more than once in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq over the summer months.

In the past few weeks, hazardous fires and explosions occurred at several weapons depots in Erbil, Sulaimani, and Duhok as well as other Iraqi cities, including Baghdad and Babylon.

Editing by Nadia Riva