Iraq warns against celebratory gunfire during Eid al-Fitr

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Interior Ministry warned Wednesday that legal measures will be taken against anyone firing live ammunition, encroaching on property or committing traffic violations during Eid al-Fitr, urging citizens to avoid practices that “may disturb the atmosphere of joy and reassurance during the Eid days.”

The ministry said security forces will be fully deployed throughout the holiday, which begins March 18 and runs for six days according to a Council of Ministers decision announced Tuesday.

Celebratory gunfire remains a persistent and deadly practice in Iraq during religious occasions, weddings and sporting celebrations. Iraq’s Health Ministry recorded nearly 500 injuries during New Year’s Eve celebrations, most linked to fireworks, celebratory gunfire and traffic accidents. In July 2025, police in Kirkuk arrested three people after video showed gunfire during a wedding convoy; in September, two men were arrested in Baghdad after firing a handgun from a motorcycle, with the video circulating on social media.