Erbil security forces arrest suspect in attacks on mosques

ERBIL — Erbil Asayish announced Tuesday the arrest of a suspect accused of attacking several mosques in the city, following complaints filed by religious figures and civil society groups.

The arrest follows an incident on April 19 in which a person entered the Sheikh Mohammed Pirkhadri mosque compound overnight, tearing apart Qurans, hadith collections and other religious texts inside the reading hall and library. Mosque imam Saad Pirkhadri said the individual climbed over a wall, checked that no one was present and then damaged the religious materials before attempting to tamper with the electricity panel, unsuccessfully. Surveillance cameras were not operational at the time due to ongoing renovations.

Mohammed Sabah, head of the Didar Organization, told 964media that he and several religious and social figures filed a complaint with the public prosecutor and contacted other parties. “As Muslims, we will defend our beliefs and sanctities with our blood,” he said. Officials have not released further details about the suspect or the full scope of the alleged attacks.