Iraq arrests senior leader of Al-Yamani Movement in Najaf

Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces arrested a senior leader of the Al-Yamani Movement in Najaf province, a security source said on Thursday.

An intelligence unit in Kufa, within Najaf, detained a "high-value target" believed to be the chief strategist behind the group, which has called for attacks on top religious figures, the source told Shafaq News.

The suspect had evaded capture for years before being transferred to a specialized detention facility for further investigation, he added.

Ahmed bin Hasan al-Yamani, leader of the group, is a Shiite religious figure who claims to be the messianic "Al-Yamani." In Twelver Shi'ism, the dominant sect in Iraq, Al-Yamani is believed to be the deputy of the Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam, and a precursor to his Reappearance and the End Times. Al-Yamani publicly launched his movement in Iraq in 2002, positioning himself as the first of twelve Mahdis who follow the twelve Imams.

Iraqi authorities continue to monitor and dismantle networks linked to the movement, viewing its activities as a destabilizing force in the country’s religious and security landscape.