ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi security forces on Friday announced the arrest of 10 individuals in Maysan province, suspected of being linked to a religious fringe group that encourages its members to commit suicide as an act of “sacrifice” to the first Shiite Imam.
The Sacrificers, also known as al-Alahhiya (the Divine Ali), is a group of Twelver Shiites who deify Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of prophet Mohammed and the first Shiite Imam, and offer human sacrifices in his name.
The group’s practices involve a random draw among the members, and the person whose name comes up shall commit suicide by hanging themselves.
Iraq’s National Security Service (INSS) said on Friday that their detachments were able to thwart a suicide plot in a preemptive operation which “came after receiving accurate intelligence information about the group's intention to carry out its extremist rituals.”
The forces arrested a member of the group who was reportedly set to commit suicide within the next three days. The suspect confessed to his affiliation with the group and revealed details to the security forces which enabled them to arrest nine other alleged members, according to the statement.
“All the suspects were referred to the relevant judicial authorities to take the necessary measures against them in accordance with the law,” the INSS added.
The Sacrificers’ presence has been rapidly growing across Iraqi provinces in recent years. Iraqi security forces arrested over 130 members of the group in 2024, but it is believed to have thousands of members throughout the country.
Telegram
