Tribal clashes have escalated in Iraq in recent days, threatening to reach the capital Baghdad, amid calls by lawmakers for a crackdown on the illegal possession of weapons.
In the Hosseinia region, some 30 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, fierce fighting erupted between two rivals clans. Light and medium weapons, as well as a rockets, were used in the clashes that left eight people dead from both sides. Dozens of homes were burned down, while footage circulated on social media showed the extent of the fighting, which looked no different than images of modern warfare.
Hosseinia has been plagued by clashes for some time now, prompting Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to begin taking firm measures against the spread of arms among the region's tribes.
The Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that the PM ordered the tribes to lay down their weapons. Two members who sparked the fighting have since been arrested.
A ministry spokesman told the state news agency that Kadhimi, in his capacity as supreme commander of the armed forces, ordered a sweep of the area where the clashes took place in order for authorities to confiscate the weapons.
"The government is determined to deter such unrest that threaten national security," he stressed. "Tribal conflicts are one of the dangerous problems threatening Iraqi society."
He revealed that the next phase will witness sweeping measures by security forces and police to restore order and seize weapons that are terrorizing the people.
Eight arrest warrants have been issued against perpetrators, he said.
The clashes coincided with a fierce campaign launched by Shiite figures against parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi over his demand for a crackdown on the possession of illegal arms.
He had stated that the proliferation of weapons in southern provinces threatens civil peace, citing unrest that erupted there in 2013. Those clashes were among the precursors that paved the way for ISIS to sweep across the majority of western regions in Iraq.
Halbousi rejected the criticism against him, reiterating in a tweet his assertion that the possession of illegal weapons allowed al-Anbar to fall into the clutches of terrorism.
"Every weapon outside state authority is illegal and threatens peace, regardless of the side that possesses them. We do not want a repeat of the tragedy. Along with residents of the south, we are suffering from the spread of illegal weapons and weak state institutions," he declared.
Halbousi's parliamentary bloc, the Iraqi forces alliance, echoed his demands, warning that the ongoing spread of illegal weapons has "led to tragic results that no true Iraqi wants to experience again."
It said that limiting the possession of arms to the state has been stipulated in policy statements of successive Iraqi governments, including Kadhimi's.
It is time to achieve this goal without delay because these arms are now being used to achieve personal interests, eliminate local rivals or violate and undermine the state, added the bloc in a statement.
It vowed that it will work with all parties that support the government in order to achieve this goal to pave the way for a safe society and empowered state.
One of the bloc's MPs, Yehya Ghazi told Asharq Al-Awsat that Halbousi's call for cracking down in illegal arms stems from his sense of responsibility amid the chaos in the country.
The government should be held accountable should it fail in fulfilling its vow to limit the possession of illegitimate weapons, he added.
