Iraqi Intelligence arrests suspect promoting extremist religious movements in Babil province

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) announced on Thursday, the arrest of a suspect involved in promoting extremist religious movements in Babil province.

According to a statement from the INIS, specialized counter-terrorism units in Babil had been monitoring the suspect, who was reportedly distributing publications promoting these movements from within his home.

"Intelligence teams were formed immediately to verify the information, and after obtaining judicial approvals, the suspect's house was raided, leading to his arrest while in possession of incriminating materials," the statement said.

The agency refrained from naming the specific movement the suspect was associated with but confirmed the seizure of a large quantity of publications and a printer used for their production inside the suspect's home. The suspect has been referred to the competent judicial authorities following his confession.

In a broader effort to combat such activities, the INIS has provided a hotline (144) for citizens to report suspicious activities related to extremist movements.

The National Security Service also disclosed that 54 individuals connected to "deviant religious movements" were arrested during July 2024 alone, underscoring the ongoing efforts to curb the influence of such groups in Iraq.