ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Some six million firearms have been registered in Iraq as a government-set deadline for registration approaches in the coming months, Baghdad's interior ministry reported Monday, further announcing the closure of more than 70 “fake headquarters” operating under the name of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) as part of the government's broader push to bring armed groups under state control.
An interior ministry committee tasked with "regulating weapons, preventing armed displays, achieving security and development, and protecting economic prosperity" revealed that its database has registered "six million weapons across the country," ministry spokesperson Major General Miqdad Miri said at a briefing in Baghdad.
Miri added that the committee has also "shut down 71 fake headquarters claiming affiliation with the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF]," in addition to "119 weapons shops and shops with expired licenses."
For its part, the PMF announced Monday that "the fake headquarters" in reference "have no connection whatsoever to the organization," pointing to efforts including "legal and administrative measures against anyone who attempts to impersonate the organization or exploit its name in any form whatsoever."
Iraq continues to face a widespread proliferation of unlicensed weapons, with an estimated eight million firearms believed to be in circulation. Successive governments have sought to curb their spread and impose tighter control over arms possession to combat recurring violence stemming from criminal activity and tribal conflict.
Regarding the registration period, Miri reaffirmed that "the current registration period, unless extended, runs until December 31," urging the public to comply with the free registration process.
"Should the scheduled period end without an extension, any unregistered weapon will be treated as illegal, and legal measures will be taken against it accordingly," he warned.
Of note, the ministry has established 845 registration offices across all Iraqi provinces with more than 600 tribal sheikhs opening their guesthouses to assist with the effort.
Moreover, Miri addressed the issue of unmanned aerial vehicles in the country, emphasizing that "any drone that is not registered and does not operate under official, normal, and natural conditions is treated as terrorism."
During the ongoing campaign, authorities have seized 49 drones and confiscated 21,224 weapons from private security companies, he explained.
