ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Security forces in Iraq's Dhi Qar arrested six individuals, including five from the same family, suspected of belonging to the "Qurban" group, an extremist sect outlawed by Baghdad, a security source told The New Region on Tuesday.

The Qurban, or al-Alahhiya group, is an extremist Shiite sect, outlawed by the Iraqi government, that has been implicated in several crimes in the past, including self-sacrificial suicide lotteries in the name of Ali bin Abi Talib, the first Imam of the Shiites, whmo the cult deifies.

The group’s practices involve a random draw among the members, and the person whose name comes up shall commit suicide by hanging themself.

"Among the suspects are three brothers and two cousins, while the sixth is another person associated with the group," the source told The New Region, clarifying that "the arrest was carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 372 of Iraqi law, which deals with addressing sectarian incitement and insulting religious rituals."

"Investigations are still ongoing with the detainees, in preparation for their referral to the judiciary to take the necessary legal action against them," The New Region's source further noted.

Operatives conducting the arrest operation faced no resistance during the apprehension of the six individuals, according to the source.

Iraqi security forces in February announced the arrest of 10 individuals in Maysan province suspected of being linked to the fringe group.

The group's 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.