Iraq's NSS captures over 30 members of Qurban movement across four provinces

Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) announced the arrest of dozens of individuals affiliated with the banned Qurban organization in four provinces.

The INSS stated, "Based on confirmed intelligence information, our units were able to identify new members belonging to theQurban movement in four provinces."

"Consequently, after obtaining judicial approvals, our Service successfully arrested 35 individuals in the provinces of Wasit, Muthanna, Basra, and Dhi Qar,” it added. “They will be referred to the relevant authorities for the necessary legal action."

In early July, the INSS announced that it had successfully infiltrated this movement.

Two months later, the Service announced that it apprehended 47 individuals linked to the banned organization in Muthanna, Dhi Qar, Wasit, and Maysan provinces.

Notably, the Qurban sect, also known as the "Allahiyah," is a controversial and clandestine religious group that has attracted attention in Iraq, especially in the southern province of Dhi Qar. This sect advocates unconventional beliefs and practices, including self-sacrifice or "offering oneself" in religious ceremonies.

The extremist group was founded during the tenure of the late religious leader Mohammed Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, who distanced himself from the sect. Additionally, the group is not recognized by any mainstream Muslim sect.

The Qurban sect venerates Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb and performs a ritual involving a lottery to select an individual to be offered as a sacrifice.