The Iraqi parliament voted on Monday in favor of a draft law to recognize the province of Halabja, raising the total number of provinces in the country to 19.

In a statement, the assembly said the draft submitted by the Regions and Governorates Committee to declare Halabja as a province was approved.

The presidency, for its part, congratulated the population of Halabja on the provincial recognition.

It called the move a “historic step, long-awaited recognition, deserved entitlement, and a positive step toward achieving justice and honoring the blood of the martyrs.”

Halabja is located within the Kurdish region in northern Iraq and had previously been administratively affiliated with the Sulaimani province.

As of the latest census in February, Iraq’s population stands at 46.118 million.