The Iraqi committee responsible for regulating arms has unveiled a proposal to acquire medium-range weapons from the country’s citizens. Brigadier General Mansour Ali Sultan, the secretary of the committee, made this announcement during an interview with Al-Iraqiya TV channel on Wednesday.
General Sultan disclosed that the committee has made substantial progress, completing approximately 70 percent of a comprehensive database detailing the arms possessed by individuals across the nation. He emphasized that Iraqi law permits any citizen aged 25 or older to own weapons. To facilitate this, more than 600 registration offices for firearms have been established throughout Iraq.
In order to streamline the registration process, an electronic application has been launched to help individuals register their firearms. General Sultan emphasized the committee’s commitment to preventing illegal arms trading. To this end, they have successfully closed 420 unlicensed firearm shops operating in various regions of Iraq.
Moreover, General Sultan highlighted a concerning trend of weapon sales occurring through online platforms. He revealed that around 320 websites in Iraq are engaged in the sale of weapons, with these websites delivering firearms directly to customers.
It is worth noting that, in 2019, Iraq witnessed the highest per capita rate of violent gun fatalities in the Middle East and North Africa, surpassing even the United States, according to research conducted by the University of Washington.
The Iraqi Arms Regulation Committee’s efforts aim to address this issue by enhancing control over the distribution and possession of medium-range weapons within the country.
