Security Briefing: Deadly blast and sect arrests mark Iraq’s day

Below is a summary of key security and crime-related incidents reported across Iraq on November 4, 2025.

- Residency Violations (Najaf)

Security forces in Najaf arrested 90 foreign nationals of various countries for violating residency regulations during a large-scale campaign led by the provincial committee overseeing foreign residents. Legal action was taken against all detainees under applicable immigration laws.

- Explosion at PMF Facility (Baghdad)

An explosion inside a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) explosives disposal site near the Basmaya gas plant southeast of Baghdad killed three members of the force. Officials said the blast was caused by leftover munitions from ISIS operations being dismantled at the site. Several nearby homes were damaged.

- Tribal Retaliation and Murder (Dhi Qar)

Security forces in Dhi Qar reported two separate incidents. In Souq al-Shuyukh, relatives of three murdered fishermen torched a neighbor’s home, accusing him of involvement in the killings after he fled with his family.

Separately, gunmen shot and killed a 40-year-old man outside his home in al-Rifai, north of Nasiriyah, before fleeing the scene.

- Child Fatalities in Traffic Accident (Diyala)

Two brothers, aged 10 and 11, were killed and a third sibling critically injured after being struck by a car near their home on the outskirts of Baqubah.

- Sorcery and Terrorism Sentences (Babil / Baghdad)

The Hillah Misdemeanor Court in Babil sentenced a man to five years in prison for practicing witchcraft and fraud on social media under Article 456 of the Penal Code.In a separate ruling, the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad sentenced a woman to life imprisonment for belonging to a dormant ISIS cell and operating social media accounts for the group’s propaganda wing.

- Al-Qurban Movement Convictions (Dhi Qar)

The Dhi Qar Criminal Court sentenced a senior member of the banned Al-Lahiyah (al-Qurban) sect to life imprisonment for killing a child and staging the death as a suicide linked to the group’s practices in Souq al-Shuyukh. A second defendant, a municipal employee, received eight years for bribery. The rulings were issued under Articles 406 and 307 of the Penal Code.

- Landmine Explosion (Basra)

A Border Guard member was seriously injured when a landmine from past conflicts exploded in al-Qurna sector of northern Basra. The blast caused near-total amputation of both hands.