Iraqi Kurdish PUK security forces allege plot to kill party leader Bafel Talabani

Opposition People's Front party denies its leader Lahur Jangi Talabani was involved

A burnt-out vehicle in Sulaymaniyah following clashes between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and fighters loyal to Lahur Jangi Talabani. Reuters

Security forces of Iraq's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the ruling party in Sulaymaniyah, on Wednesday published a document alleging an assassination attempt against leader Bafel Talabani and implicating his cousin, opposition figure Lahur Jangi Talabani.

The document, as well as a video broadcast by the security forces known as Asayish, was released a week after heavy clashes in the city between PUK-controlled forces and fighters loyal to Mr Jangi Talabani that ended in his arrest.

The seven-page document cites statements from people arrested during the clashes and claims Mr Jangi Talabani was implicated in an attempt to “target and terrorise” the PUK leader. It also accuses him of fuelling chaos and unrest.

Mr Jangi Talabani's party, the People's Front, rejected the PUK's claims, calling them “weak and misleading”. It also called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to put an end to what it described as a “disgusting situation”.

The clashes last week began when PUK forces raided a hotel in Sulaymaniyah to carry out an arrest warrant for Mr Jangi Talabani. He was arrested with his brothers Polad and Aso, as well as a number of his guards, after fighting that lasted for more than three hours. Kurdistan security authorities said three members of the security forces were killed and 19 were wounded.

Sources said the arrest was part of a broader struggle to assert control over the city – a key PUK stronghold.

The clashes marked a significant escalation and the most serious internal armed confrontation in the Kurdish region in decades.

Mr Jangi Talabani and Bafel Talabani were co-presidents of the PUK, one of the Kurdish region's ruling parties, until Mr Talabani expelled him in 2021. Mr Jangi Talabani established his own party, which participated in the regional parliament elections last year and won two of the 100 seats in the house.

He began to expand his influence, establishing his own special forces and acquiring significant financial interests in the region. He also started building relationships with the PUK's rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and attempted to forge ties with Iran and Baghdad, which did not sit well with his cousin.

The arrest of Mr Jangi Talabani came shortly after the detention of another opposition figure in Sulaymaniyah this month. New Generation party leader Shaswar Abdulwahid was detained on August 12. His trial was postponed for the second time on Thursday.