BAGHDAD, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iraq has set up a National Data Bank for Weapons to tighten state control over arms and help strengthen international tracking.

Major General Mansour Ali Sultan, rapporteur of the Interior Ministry's State Arms Control Committee, told the Iraqi News Agency that the measure is part of the government's weapons-regulation program. The newly established unified database covers government-owned weapons as well as arms seized or confiscated during operations.

"Iraq has, for the first time, joined the international weapons-tracking database, enabling the tracking of stolen weapons both inside and outside the country," he said.

Sultan added that 42,237 weapons were withdrawn from civilian ministries in Baghdad and other provinces this year. Enditem