15 Million Unlicensed Weapons in Iraqi Citizens’ Hands

The Iraqi Interior Ministry reports that 15 million weapons are in the hands of citizens, sparking efforts to register and regulate these arms amid ongoing concerns about illegal weapon sales.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry has revealed a staggering figure: 15 million weapons are currently held by Iraqi citizens. In an effort to control this massive stockpile, the ministry has initiated a registration process and taken steps to curb illegal weapon sales.

Ziad Qaisi, the spokesman for the registration committee, told the official Iraqi news agency, “We have recorded the first phase of the registration process for illegal weapons and have closed several social media pages and websites dedicated to selling weapons.” He emphasized that the estimated 15 million unlicensed weapons is not a final number, acknowledging that these arms have been acquired through wars and illegal trade.

The second phase of the registration process is now underway. The committee is focusing on regulating hunting weapons, which are currently considered illegal without proper registration. “The possession of such weapons is a violation of the law. These weapons should be registered,” Qaisi stated.

The Interior Ministry has also clamped down on the sale of weapons, refusing to grant new licenses to weapons dealers. “Anyone who sells weapons without authorization will be held accountable,” Qaisi warned.

On December 24, 2024, Interior Ministry spokesman Miqdad Miry announced the commencement of the illegal weapons registration initiative. Citing Article 6 of Law 51 of 2017 on weapons, and Article 9 of the Iraqi government’s agenda for stability and protection of citizens, Miry underscored the legal framework supporting this crackdown.

The Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies estimates there are over 20 million unlicensed weapons in Iraq, in addition to numerous government-issued arms that have ended up in civilian hands. According to the Iraqi Arms Law No. 51 of 2017, any married Iraqi citizen is permitted to own a small firearm or pistol with a limited amount of ammunition: 50 bullets for pistols and 200 bullets for other weapons.

The Interior Ministry’s efforts to register and regulate these weapons aim to reduce violence and enhance public safety. However, the sheer volume of unregistered weapons poses a significant challenge to achieving these goals.

According to Kurdfile research team, there are around 3 million weapons in hands of Kurdish people in Kurdistan region of Iraq, and Kurdish authority parties are more than happy with this because they use this mood to threaten others to not have their freedom of expression.