SULAIMANI,— Former Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) co-chair and current opposition leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani was taken into custody early Friday along with his two brothers after an armed standoff with security forces in Sulaimani in Iraqi Kurdistan region, according to a security official.
The clashes erupted after PUK-affiliated security forces surrounded the Lalezar Hotel in western Sulaimani, where Talabani and his relatives were staying. The move followed an arrest warrant issued by a local court on Thursday, the official said.
Fighting broke out around 3 a.m. and lasted nearly four hours before Talabani, who now heads the opposition People’s Front (Berey Gel), and his brothers Polad and Aso Sheikh Jangi were detained.
Lahur, a member of the powerful Talabani family — one of the two dominant clans ruling the Kurdistan Region — surrendered to security forces, while his brother Polad was shot in the leg before being taken into custody, an official said. Several others were also injured.
There were also unverified claims that drones went down during the clashes, though details remain unclear.
Sulaiman court spokesman, judge Salah Hassan said that an arrest warrant was issued on Thursday for against Lahur Talabani and several others “for conspiracy aimed at destabilising security and stability”.
Talabani was also the subject of a previous warrant in 2021 after his removal from PUK leadership.
Lahur Talabani, once held a top position within the PUK but was removed from leadership in 2021 by his cousins Bafel and Qubad Talabani. The PUK is the dominant political force in Sulaimani province.
Following his ouster, Lahur Talabani launched Baray Gel, which secured two seats in the Kurdistan Region’s most recent parliamentary elections.
The arrest comes just days after another opposition figure, Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the New Generation Movement ((Cûłanewey Newey Nwê), was detained in Sulaimani.
Abdulwahid, who heads the Kurdistan Region’s largest opposition party, faces multiple charges, including fraud and issuing threats.
In July 2021, Bafel Talabani, now PUK president, and his brother Qubad replaced top intelligence and counterterrorism officials loyal to Lahur, consolidating control within the party.
Meanwhile, court documents show that Abdulwahid was sentenced in absentia earlier this month to six months in prison under Article 431 of the Iraqi Penal Code for making threats against individuals and property.
The penalty allows for detention or a fine. He is also accused of misappropriating $25 million from local investors since 2011.
Iraqi Kurdistan Region remains politically and geographically divided between the PUK, led by the Talabani family and based in Sulaimani, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), controlled by the Barzani family, which dominates Erbil and Duhok provinces.
For decades, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by the Barzani clan, and the PUK, controlled by the Talabani family, have dominated the Kurdish region.
Both families have routinely faced accusations of corruption, and Lahur Talabani, a member of the Talabani family and former senior PUK leader, has also been accused of involvement in corrupt practices.
(With files from AFP | Rudaw | Agencies)
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