ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s interior ministry has registered around 5.8 million firearms in a national database under a nationwide plan to regulate weapons and organize gun ownership, a ministry spokesperson said Sunday.

Spokesperson Abbas al-Bahadli told the state-run newspaper Al-Sabah that registration offices were distributed according to population density, geographic location, and the security situation in each area.

“The distribution of weapons registration offices was carried out based on a study that considered population density, geographic numbering, and the security reality of each region,” Bahadli said.

“This ensures all citizens are covered by registration services in a fair and effective manner.”

He said all provinces had been supplied with specialized registration centers “to facilitate procedures and reduce time and effort for citizens.”

“This step comes within the ministry’s efforts to enhance security and stability and regulate weapons possession,” he added.

Bahadli said the ministry has also launched the Ain Iraq application to simplify the process.

“The app allows citizens to submit weapons registration requests electronically and complete transactions through one platform, starting from the application stage until the license is issued in accordance with legal controls,” he said.

Illegal weapons in Iraq stand out as one of the most pressing challenges to security and stability. Unofficial data puts the number of arms within Iraqi society at around 15 million medium and light weapons, with armed groups and tribes possessing the bulk of them.