BAGHDAD, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi forces raided the offices of the provincial government in the Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala on Saturday, a local official told Reuters. "They are in the governor's office, his deputy's office and also that of the head of the provincial assembly. We don't know what they're looking for but this is disrespectful to our sovereignty," the official, said by telephone from the building. He spoke on condition of anonymity. Speaking as thousands of pilgrims began to gather in Kerbala at the start of the 10-day rite of Ashura, one of the highpoints of the Shi'ite Muslim calendar, he said there were more than 15 patrol vehicles carrying U.S. troops and Iraqi special forces. "They asked to come but permission was not granted so they broke in," the official said. He added that those in charge of the raid said they were responding to an attack in the area shortly after dark. The operation was continuing at just before midnight (2100 GMT). A U.S. military spokeswoman said earlier there had been an attack at the joint U.S.-Iraqi security coordination office in Kerbala but she had no further details. Earlier, police and Iraqi security forces described a series of blasts around the building as a mortar attack but later said that a U.S. and Iraqi military raid was under way. Kerbala lies 110 km (70 miles) south of Baghdad.
