ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – An advisor to the Iraqi prime minister on Friday denied reports that a deadline had been set for a committee tasked with consolidating weapons under state control, warning that anyone found illegally carrying weapons after the committee completes its work will be “treated as a terrorist.”

“Recent reports circulating on social media regarding a set timeframe for the work of the committee on bringing weapons under state control are completely incorrect; there is no specific deadline for consolidating weapons under the authority of the state,” said Qasim al-Araji, security advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

Araji’s remarks come amid a push by Baghdad to bring weapons under its control and curb the influence of armed militias operating outside the Iraqi state’s authority.

Zaidi pledged in May to place all weapons under state control.

Three of seven key Iran-affiliated Shiite armed factions, Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, however, rejected the plan.

Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework has formed a committee, in coordination with the government, to determine the appropriate mechanisms for implementing the process of restricting weapons to the state, after Tehran reportedly tasked the ruling Shiite bloc to negotiate on behalf of the factions with the Iraqi government to avoid escalations between the two sides.

Several informed sources told The New Region earlier in September that the Coordination Framework is finalizing a written agreement setting out weapons transfer arrangements and rules governing the military activities of Iranian-backed Shiite armed factions after the final US troop withdrawal scheduled for September 30.

“Once the committee… completes its work and weapons are fully brought under state control, anyone possessing weapons illegally will be treated in accordance with the law as an outlaw; strict legal measures will be taken against them, and they will be treated the same as terrorists,” the prime minister’s security advisor said.

Araji said in late August that September 30 marks the deadline for US-led coalition forces to leave Iraq, “not the deadline for the handover of weapons.” He told Al-Iraqiya News that the date would instead mark the beginning of a gradual process to bring all weapons under state control.

Commanders of Iran-backed factions previously told The New Region that Badr Organization chief Hadi al-Amiri heads the committee and includes Zaidi and Falih al-Fayyadh, head of the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC), which is the official government agency in charge of bringing all PMF factions under state control.