Clashes in Sulaymaniyah leave security members dead before arrest of Lahur Sheikh Jangi

SULAYMANIYAH — Three members of Sulaymaniyah’s security forces and, according to unconfirmed reports, seven members of opposition leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi’s forces were killed in heavy clashes that stretched into Friday morning before his arrest.

The Directorate of Security Operations and Commando Forces said two of its members, Sarmand Ali from the operations unit and Diyar Sardar Hakim from the commando command, were killed in the fighting. Earlier, the Sulaymaniyah Counter-Terrorism Directorate confirmed the death of Ari Sheikh Suad Talabani, one of its officers.

Jalal Sheikh Naji, head of the Parastin and Zanyari intelligence agency, said in a statement, “In the process of restoring order and security in Sulaymaniyah city… He was martyred at the hands of outlaws.”

Unconfirmed reports said seven members of Sheikh Jangi’s forces were also killed.

The violence followed a night of mounting tension. At around 6 p.m. Thursday, heavy security deployments and checkpoint delays were reported across the city. By 10 p.m., it became clear that the mobilization was linked to an operation to arrest Sheikh Jangi, the People’s Front leader and former co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Security forces surrounded the Lalazar Hotel, where Sheikh Jangi and his associates were staying. By 11 p.m., witnesses said he and his entourage had been told to surrender.

At midnight, Salah Hassan, spokesperson for the Sulaymaniyah court, told 964media that an arrest warrant had been issued for Sheikh Jangi and others under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code on charges of inciting unrest.

Fighting escalated overnight with exchanges of gunfire, explosions, and fires in the area. By Friday morning, security forces stormed the building, detaining Sheikh Jangi and his brothers and removing them from the hotel.