The Iraqi government says it will impose new curbs on private military firms to slow what it calls a “giant army” threatening national sovereignty. Iraqi Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Asadi said scores of unlicensed weapons have been recovered in raids of the companies’ offices.

Adnan al-Asadi: “What the Interior Ministry worries about is that there is a giant army of these companies on the streets with their weapons. It does not matter if these weapons are licensed. They pose a security risk that must be addressed in any way. ”