Kurdish political figure arrested in Iraq, sparking clashes that leave 5 dead

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — At least five people were killed and 18 others wounded in the city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region in clashes after the arrest of a prominent Kurdish political figure, officials said Friday.

Security forces launched a major overnight operation to arrest Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani, the nephew of the late Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, under Iraq’s counterterrorism law, said Burhan Sheikh Rauf, an official with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the party that holds sway in Sulaymaniyah and to which Lahur Talabani previously belonged.

He said Talabani “had plans to carry out operations against the government and create chaos” and that the operation was part of an effort to enforce laws prohibiting political parties from maintaining armed wings.

The arrest sparked outrage among Talabani’s supporters, who clashed with security forces.

Talabani, once hailed as a key partner of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State extremist group, cofounded the PUK’s Zanyari intelligence agency and was recognized for his leadership in counterterrorism.

In 2020, he became copresident of the party alongside his cousin Bafel Talabani, but was ousted a year later in a bitter internal power struggle. He then formed his own party, the People’s Front, and has maintained influence in Sulaymaniyah.

Rauf initially said that Talabani failed to appear before a judge after being summoned, but later said the operation was carried out “suddenly without informing him about the arrest order.” He confirmed that three members of the local security forces were killed in the raid. The People’s Front said two of its members were also killed.

Rauf said Talabani would be handed over to the court on Sunday, as public institutions in Iraq are closed Friday and Saturday.

Dillsoz Zangana, a member of the People’s Front party and candidate for Iraq’s parliamentary elections, denounced the operation as “a regional and internal coup d’état.”

“They used heavy weapons like mortars, Dushkas (machine guns), drones and tanks to attack him. Therefore his forces responded back as a defense,” Zangana said.

She said the raid by multiple security agencies terrorized residents in the densely populated area around the Lalazar Hotel, where Talabani had been staying with his political allies, and that some civilian homes were damaged in the fighting.

“There were many families and children who witnessed this and were terrified the whole night,” she said.

Zangana said at least 10 others were detained with Talabani, including his two brothers and sister, his wife, and several women from the People’s Front.

“How can we make sure they will be protected and they’re not being tortured right now? They should’ve been taken to the court,” she said. “

The turmoil came just days after another high-profile opposition figure was detained. On Aug. 12, Sulaymaniyah police arrested Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the New Generation Movement, at his home in the city’s German Village district, on charges of criminal threats, with a potential six-month prison sentence.