Authorities in Iraq have closed 71 fake offices claiming affiliation with the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) as part of a nationwide campaign to bring weapons under state control, an Interior Ministry official said on Monday.
The PMF, also known as Hashd Al Shaabi, is a state-sponsored umbrella organisation of mostly Shiite paramilitaries, many of which have close ties to Iran.
The PMF was formally incorporated into Iraq's security apparatus in 2016 after playing a critical role in defeating ISIS. However, critics say some of its factions continue to operate independently of state control, with some accused of attacks on diplomatic missions and US interests.
The PMF said the offices had no connection to the organisation and were operated by people falsely claiming affiliation.
It said the closures were part of an operation carried out by its General Directorate of Security and Discipline under the supervision of the Permanent Committee for Weapons Control, established by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
The PMF said it would continue monitoring such cases and take legal and administrative action against anyone attempting to impersonate the organisation or exploit its name.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Maj Gen Miqdad Miri, head of the Interior Ministry's Relations and Media Department, said the committee overseeing the weapons-control campaign had also shut down 119 arms caches and shops whose licences had expired.
Maj Gen Miri said the committee had, for the first time, compiled a national database containing information on six million firearms across Iraq.
The committee was established under a 2018 National Security Council resolution and began implementing the national weapons-control policy in January 2023. Its work includes building a database of registered firearms, conducting inspections and enforcement, and supporting security and sustainable development, with the process expected to be completed by 2030.
More than 500,000 firearms have so far been registered through weapons-registration applications by citizens, while authorities have issued more than 160,000 permits for possessing and carrying firearms.
The committee has seized 21,224 firearms and tracked more than 143,000 stolen weapons, Maj Gen Miri said. It has monitored weapons belonging to private security companies and transferred more than 55,000 firearms previously held by civilian ministries to the Interior Ministry's custody.
The campaign has also covered weapons held by various security and tribal groups, as well as firearms seized by security agencies. Authorities have tracked more than 9,000 firearms seized by security agencies and recorded 277,278 firearms handed over to Iraq by coalition forces.
Maj Gen Miri said the committee's mandate extends beyond firearms to include bladed weapons, fireworks, hunting weapons and other arms. It recorded about 324 fireworks-related injuries in 2025 and said authorities had seized 49 drones so far this year.
Maj Gen Miri urged Iraqis to register their weapons before the deadline of December 31 and warned that possessing unlicensed weapons thereafter could lead to legal action.
