Iraq May Extend Militia Disarmament Deadline

The Iraqi government is discussing an extension of the deadline for armed groups to surrender their weapons to the state. The original deadline is 30 September, but according to sources cited by Al Jazeera, the government is considering extending it until the end of the year to avoid a military confrontation.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government plans to address the armed groups through three approaches: security, judicial and media measures. Security forces are redeploying troops in several cities, while the government is preparing legal action and a media campaign to support efforts to bring weapons under state control.

The al-Nujaba Movement has made disarmament conditional on the achievement of full Iraqi sovereignty and an end to the foreign presence. Kataib Hezbollah, one of the largest and best-armed factions, also refuses to surrender its weapons and intends to continue expanding its arsenal.

On Friday, the prime minister emphasized that the government does not want a military confrontation with armed groups and is continuing constructive dialogue.

Three factions have already begun surrendering their weapons. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has created a database covering approximately six million weapons as part of efforts to bring their possession and use under state control.

(aljazeera, bak)