Iraq Shuts 71 Unauthorized PMF Bases as Arms Registration Expands
Iraq says more than 500,000 weapons have been registered as Baghdad moves to bring all arms under state control by Sept. 30.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraq has shut down 71 unauthorized bases linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) as the government intensifies efforts to bring weapons and armed activity under state control, the Interior Ministry said Monday.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Miqdad Miri said more than 500,000 weapons have also been registered as part of a nationwide program aimed at creating a database covering some six million firearms.
The measures come as Baghdad approaches a Sept. 30 deadline for consolidating weapons under state authority, a policy that has faced varying degrees of resistance from armed factions.
71 Unauthorized Bases Closed
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Aug. 10, Miri said authorities had decommissioned 71 unauthorized PMF headquarters, which he described as “ghost” or “shadow” bases.
The closures represent one of the clearest recent indications of the government's effort to bring armed formations and their facilities within the formal state security structure.
Miri also warned that unauthorized drone launches would face severe legal consequences, saying such activity would be prosecuted as terrorism.
The government has increasingly linked the regulation of weapons to broader efforts to reinforce state authority and prevent armed groups from independently conducting military operations.
More Than 500,000 Weapons Registered
Miri said the Interior Ministry is building a central information database for approximately six million firearms across Iraq.
More than 500,000 weapons have so far been registered, he said, describing the progress as a significant step in the government's effort to establish a comprehensive record of privately and institutionally held firearms.
The registration drive is part of a broader policy requiring weapons to be legally documented and restricting their possession and use outside authorized state institutions.
Sept. 30 Deadline Approaches
Miri said the Sept. 30 deadline remains in place and acknowledged that the approaching date has contributed to heightened security preparations and concerns in some areas.
He rejected speculation that the government was preparing to impose a nationwide curfew at the end of September, saying no such directive had been issued.
The spokesperson nevertheless warned that armed activity conducted outside the state's authority after the deadline would be dealt with under Iraq's Anti-Terrorism Law.
The government's position reflects a broader push by the State Administration Alliance to end the proliferation of weapons outside official state control.
Factions Take Different Positions
Miri acknowledged that armed factions have not adopted a uniform position on the government's weapons policy.
While some groups have indicated that they are prepared to regularize their relationship with the state, others have attached conditions to surrendering or restricting their arsenals.
Those conditions include the complete withdrawal of foreign military forces from Iraq and guarantees concerning the country's sovereignty.
The government's effort to enforce the Sept. 30 deadline therefore faces a politically sensitive test: reconciling armed factions' competing demands while establishing the principle that the state retains exclusive authority over weapons and the use of force.