29 arrested in Iraq for ‘religious extremism’: National Security Service

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi National Security Service has arrested 29 individuals accused of “religious extremism”, according to a statement released by the top security agency on Wednesday.

The statement said the suspects were arrested under a warrant that charged them with “harming religious beliefs, symbols, and social peace”. 

The suspects are from the Iraqi provinces of Baghdad, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Babylon, Muthana, Qadisiya, Basra, Najaf, and Wasit, according to the statement. 

The security service said the detained individuals have been referred to judicial authorities. 

Since the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has endured various sectarian conflicts, including the 2006 conflict. More recently, the country fought a bloody war years-long war against ISIS, a Sunni extremist militant group that infamously conquered one-third of the country in 2014. 

Armed Shiite militias with close ties to Iran are often accused of stirring up sectarian tensions, particularly in Iraq's Sunni-majority regions.