Basra registers 40K firearms in weapons control drive

Shafaq News- Basra

Authorities in Iraq's Basra province have registered 40,000 privately owned firearms as part of a nationwide campaign to regulate gun ownership, a security official told Shafaq News on Saturday.

Colonel Rasoul Jassim Naim, director of Weapons Control and Regulation in Basra, said the registration campaign had made progress, supported by cooperation with local tribes, registration offices at police stations, and mobile teams assisting residents unable to visit registration centers.

Naim explained that residents do not need to bring their firearms to police stations. Instead, they can submit a clear photograph of the weapon's serial number alongside official identification documents or complete the application online through Iraq's Ur government services portal.

He urged residents to register their weapons before the deadline, warning that possession of unregistered firearms could result in legal action once the registration period ends.

Iraq's Interior Ministry launched the online registration system on January 27, 2024, covering all provinces except the Kurdistan Region.

In September 2025, then-Interior Ministry spokesperson Colonel Abbas al-Bahadli told Shafaq News that more than 125,000 firearm registration applications had been submitted nationwide, saying the campaign had helped strengthen public security and reduce tribal disputes.