Iraq’s arms regulation committee to buy medium-range weapons from citizens
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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi committee for weapons regulation revealed a proposal on Wednesday to purchase medium-range weapons from citizens.
The secretary of the committee, Brigadier General Mansour Ali Sultan, said in an interview with the Al-Iraqiya TV channel that the committee completed 70 percent of a database related to arms possessed by individuals.
“The Iraqi law allows every citizen who is 25 years old or older to possess weapons,” Sultan explained. He added that more than 600 registration offices for firearms had been established across Iraq.
The committee’s secretary illustrated that an electronic application has been launched to register firearms.
“We will not allow an illegal arms trade,” Sultan stated. He clarified that 420 unlicensed firearm shops have been closed throughout Iraq.
Sultan added that 320 websites in Iraq sell weapons, indicating that these websites deliver firearms to their customers.
In 2019, Iraq had the highest rate of violent gun fatalities per capita in the Middle East and North Africa, surpassing even that of the United States, according to the University of Washington.