Security forces “were able to thwart a suicide plot and arrest 10 members” of the Sacrificers group, Iraq’s National Security Service said in a statement.
The Sacrificers, also known as al-Alahhiya (the Divine Ali), deify the Shiite imam Ali and offer human sacrifices in his name.
The group allegedly has thousands of members across Iraq, believed to have been influenced by similar religious movements in Iran. Its practices involve picking a member through random draw to commit suicide by hanging.
The security service said that the individual selected “was scheduled to hang himself within the next three days” and “was arrested in a cafe in the center of the province.” The suspect confessed to being a member of the group.
Fringe religious groups are a growing trend in Iraq and security forces, particularly in the south, have carried out multiple operations against the Sacrificers.
In September, Iraq’s judiciary instructed the courts to be strict on fringe religious groups that it said “pose a threat to the lives of citizens.”
