PUK Forces Raid Lahur Sheikh Jangi-Affiliated Channel Headquarters in Sulaimani
According to reports, the channel’s offices had already been evacuated, with no employees present at the time. Despite this, the force broke down the door and entered the premises.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A Kurdistan24 correspondent reported on Friday that a large force was deployed to the Darwaza City residential project in Sulaimani and stormed the headquarters of Zoom TV, a channel affiliated with Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani.
According to reports, the channel’s offices had already been evacuated, with no employees present at the time. Despite this, the force broke down the door and entered the premises.
The raid followed several hours of clashes near the Lalazar Hotel between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) forces and fighters loyal to Lahur Sheikh Jangi. The confrontations came in the wake of the arrest of Sheikh Jangi and his two brothers, Polad and Aras.
The confrontation began Thursday evening after judicial and police authorities confirmed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Lahur Sheikh Jangi and several others. The warrant, authorized by the Sulaimani Provincial Asayish (Security) Directorate, was based on Article 56 of the amended Iraqi Penal Code, which pertains to criminal agreements and acts that harm public security.
Following the legal directive, a large contingent of PUK forces, equipped with tanks and armored vehicles, mobilized after midnight and moved towards the Sarchnar neighborhood, where the Lalezar Hotel is located. The area's electricity was cut, and the streets of Sulaimani were largely deserted as the city braced for a confrontation.
In response to the violence, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called for calm and urged all sides to exercise restraint. He warned that the unrest in Sulaimani threatened the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region, emphasizing that disputes should be resolved through legal means.
Read More: PM Barzani Calls for Restraint as Tensions Escalate in Sulaimani
Lahur Sheikh Jangi previously served as co-president of the PUK alongside his cousin Bafel Talabani. However, internal power struggles within the party escalated in July 2021, when Bafel ordered the closure of a media outlet linked to Lahur and dismissed several key commanders in both the counter-terrorism and intelligence agencies who were seen as his allies. Shortly after, Bafel declared himself the sole leader of the PUK.
In November of the same year, Lahur was formally expelled from the party, along with several of his supporters, thereby consolidating Bafel’s control over both the party and its financial assets.
Since then, Lahur Sheikh Jangi has pursued his own political path, founding the People’s Front, a new party officially licensed by the Kurdistan Region’s Interior Ministry on Jan. 17, 2024. The movement has attracted several former PUK members loyal to Lahur’s faction.
