Iraq creates database to track 6M weapons, closes ‘fake’ PMF-linked offices

Iraq’s Interior Ministry said Monday it has created an information database to register around 6 million weapons across the country.

In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency, the ministry said it also closed 71 fake offices that had claimed links to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-backed umbrella of Shiite armed groups.

It did not immediately provide further details on the locations of the closed offices or the mechanism used to collect data on the weapons.

On Friday, Iraqi authorities opened firearms registration and licensing offices across the country as part of a government plan to bring weapons under state control.

On June 3, military spokesman Sabah al-Numan announced the formation of a committee tasked with implementing the government’s plan to bring weapons under state control, saying it had begun its work.

Weapons outside state control remain one of Iraq’s most pressing security and political challenges. Several armed groups operate in the country, including factions affiliated with the PMF and others that function independently.​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​The government has sought to consolidate control over weapons and strengthen the authority of state security institutions as part of broader efforts to reinforce domestic stability and shield the country from the effects of regional tensions.

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