Al-Awadi from Salah al-Din: We are proceeding with restricting weapons to the state and taking over the security file in the provinces.
Al-Awadi from Salah al-Din: We are proceeding with restricting weapons to the state and taking over the security file in the provinces.
2026-09-21
Shafaq News – Salah al-Din
Iraqi Interior Minister Hussein al-Awadi confirmed on Monday that the government is proceeding with the implementation of the decision to restrict weapons to the state and official security forces, noting that procedures related to this file will continue during the coming months, in conjunction with the ministry’s preparations to take over the security file in all governorates.
Al-Awadi said during a press conference he held in Salah al-Din Governorate, which was attended by Shafaq News Agency, with the participation of Salah al-Din Governor Haitham al-Zahwan and the governorate’s police chief, that his visit to the governorate comes to see firsthand the security situation and follow up on the work of the security services, indicating that Salah al-Din, which previously suffered from terrorism, was able, through the efforts of its security forces and its people, to overcome that stage and move to the stage of reconstruction and development.
He added that “there can be no reconstruction or development without sustainable security,” considering that the security indicators in Salah al-Din are “reassuring.”
He explained that the governorate has become one of the leading governorates in terms of security and stability, and that the ministry seeks to consolidate this stability in a sustainable manner.
In the most prominent issue addressed by the conference, the acting Minister of the Interior affirmed that the Iraqi government, headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is proceeding with restricting weapons to the state, and that all security and governmental formations are working towards making weapons exclusively in the hands of the official security forces.
Al-Awadi said that the Ministry of Interior has formed a committee headed by the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Police to follow up on the file of inventorying weapons, indicating that the ministry has so far obtained more than six million pieces of weapons, while procedures are continuing to complete the inventory of weapons during the coming months.
He stressed that the decision to restrict weapons represents a firm governmental policy, and that the state is proceeding with its implementation, explaining that the goal is to regulate the possession of weapons and make it within the official institutions legally authorized to carry and use them.
In this context, Al-Awadi pointed out that the Ministry of Interior has moved from confronting the threat of terrorism to confronting crime, stressing that there is a clear and noticeable decrease in crime rates during more than 100 days of the government’s term, and emphasizing that the ministry is determined to strengthen security in all governorates.
Regarding the handover of the security file, Al-Awadi said that the Ministry of Interior is preparing to take over the security file in Salah al-Din, along with other governorates, during the next few months, stressing that the ministry is working to prepare the necessary requirements to ensure the transfer of the file in an organized manner.
Regarding border crossings, the acting Minister of Interior explained that the government attaches great importance to this issue, indicating that some crossings have been equipped with modern and advanced equipment, while the rest of the crossings will be equipped during the coming weeks.
He added that “the border crossings and Iraq’s borders are the first line of defense for the interior,” stressing that the government’s policy is to secure all border crossings and equip them with the latest equipment and technologies.
For his part, the Governor of Salah al-Din, Haitham al-Zahwan, welcomed the visit of the Acting Minister of Interior and his accompanying delegation, stressing that the province is witnessing a high level of security stability, and that this represents the fruit of the efforts of the security services and the leaders working in the province.
Al-Zahwan pointed out that the Ministry of Interior represents a direct point of contact with the citizen, considering that the stability of the security situation in Salah al-Din creates the appropriate environment for the continuation of reconstruction and development projects.
shafaq.com
