Shafaq News – Karbala
On Sunday, the Karbala Investigative Court unveiled new details about a terrorist network linked to ISIS that was recently dismantled while allegedly plotting attacks against pilgrims during the Arbaeen observance, a major Shiite Muslim pilgrimage marking the end of the 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
In a statement issued by the Judiciary’s media office, authorities revealed 23 suspects—spread across Baghdad, the southern provinces, and the central Euphrates region (an area in central Iraq along the Euphrates River that includes several major Shiite religious centers), including one woman—have been charged with terrorism-related offenses.
The suspects, according to the statement, confessed to orchestrating a coordinated plan to target pilgrims’ safety. Their plot involved planting explosive devices along southern pilgrimage routes, poisoning food distributed to pilgrims, and setting fire to service tents—temporary roadside facilities set up by volunteers to provide free food, water, and rest areas during religious gatherings. The operation was reportedly directed by a university student in the Anesthesia Department.
The investigation also uncovered that ISIS had employed sophisticated recruitment techniques, including indoctrinating individuals with extremist literature and deceptive jihadist media, embedding them into groups focused on distorted religious instruction, linking them with specially trained clerics, and ultimately coercing them into pledging allegiance to the group’s leadership.
The Supreme Judicial Council urged families to closely monitor their children’s online behavior and remain alert to any shifts in belief or conduct. It also called on citizens to immediately report suspicious activity to security forces.
In parallel, organizers of service tents and Husseiniyas—Shiite congregation halls used for religious ceremonies—were warned against allowing unknown individuals access to food preparation areas and were instructed to tighten oversight of all food and beverage supplies.