Erbil security bans gunfire celebrations after Iraq's general vote

Shafaq News – Erbil

On Tuesday, the Asayish security directorate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, warned political parties and their supporters against holding celebrations involving gunfire following Iraq’s parliamentary vote.

In a statement, the directorate stressed that shooting in the air is an “illegal act,” confirming that violators “will face legal consequences.”

Polling officially closed at 6:00 p.m., concluding Iraq’s sixth general parliamentary elections since 2003. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has begun manual and electronic counting of ballots, with preliminary results expected within hours. Nearly 20 million Iraqis were eligible to vote in today’s election, including about three million in Kurdistan, to choose 329 members of parliament from more than 7,000 candidates representing 37 political coalitions and alliances across the country.