Shafaq News/ The population census in Diyala province, northeastern Iraq, has been fully completed, Diyala Governor Adnan Jaber al-Shammari announced on Thursday.

In a joint press conference with Diyala Operations Commander Maj. Gen. Akram Saddam, al-Shammari said, "We approached the disputed areas with caution…Those without a real presence or home were excluded from the census."

For his part, Maj. Gen. Saddam confirmed the curfew would end before midnight once the census procedures were completed, noting it was “well-observed with no violations reported.”

Notably, Iraq's population census began on Wednesday, the first in decades, with a curfew imposed across all areas, except for certain categories.

Diyala province consists of five administrative districts: Baqubah, the provincial capital, along with Al-Muqdadiya, Al-Khalis, Khanaqin, and Balad Ruz. The province’s population is estimated to range between 1.2 and 1.5 million people.

Spanning approximately 17,600 square kilometers, Diyala stretches eastward from Baghdad's northeastern outskirts to the Iranian border, serving as a vital corridor linking the capital to Iran.

Parts of the province, including Khanaqin with its significant Kurdish population, are categorized as disputed territories between Iraq's federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).