Police down a drone tracking Arbaeen pilgrims

Shafaq News/ Local police on Saturday reported the downing of a drone that was surveilling the pilgrims participating in the Arbaeen observance in the east of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The device was controlled by a member of a religious movement that's banned in Iraq, a police press release said.

A security source told Shafaq News Agency that intelligence deployed in the Ghadeer spotted a drone flying over the pilgrims without proper authorization.

"The drone was tracked to its landing site in the neighborhood," the source said, "the individual controlling it was apprehended, and he was identified as a member of the prohibited al-Da'i al-Rabbani movement."

The source added that the security forces had transferred the suspect to a facility to complete the necessary legal procedures.