At least five people were killed and 18 others wounded in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq, after security forces arrested Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani, a prominent Kurdish political figure, officials said Friday. The arrest, carried out overnight under Iraq’s counterterrorism law, triggered violent clashes between security units and Talabani’s supporters.
Burhan Sheikh Rauf, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) official, said Talabani had been planning operations “to create chaos” and stressed that the raid was part of efforts to enforce laws prohibiting political parties from operating armed wings. Rauf confirmed that three members of the local security forces were killed, while the People’s Front, Talabani’s party, said two of its members also died.
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Talabani, nephew of the late Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, was once viewed as a key partner of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State and co-founded the PUK’s Zanyari intelligence agency. After serving briefly as copresident of the PUK, he was ousted in 2021 and went on to establish the People’s Front, maintaining a strong base in Sulaymaniyah.
The operation sparked accusations of political overreach. Dillsoz Zangana, a People’s Front member and parliamentary candidate, denounced the raid as “a regional and internal coup d’état,” saying security forces deployed heavy weapons, including mortars, drones, and tanks, in a densely populated area near the Lalazar Hotel where Talabani was staying. She said families and children were left “terrified the whole night.”
Zangana also reported that at least 10 others were detained with Talabani, including his brothers, sister, wife, and other allies. She questioned whether they would be protected from mistreatment, insisting they should have been taken directly to court.
Authorities said Talabani will be handed over to the judiciary on Sunday, when Iraqi courts reopen after the weekend.