Three members of the security forces were killed and 19 wounded during the arrest of an opposition figure in Iraqi Kurdistan, two security officials told AFP on Friday.
"Three law enforcement agents were killed, including one belonging to the Assayish (special operations) branch, one from the anti-terrorist services and another from the 'Commandoes'" in the region's second city of Sulaimaniyah, where armed clashes accompanied the arrest of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, a member of the powerful Talabani family.
It is the second arrest of an opposition figure in Sulaimaniyah in less than two weeks, following the detention of New Generation leader Shaswar Abdulwahid on August 12.
Jangi was formerly a senior leader in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of two historic parties in the Kurdistan region, and held several top security posts. The party controls Sulaimaniyah, the region's second-largest city.
He was sidelined in 2021 amid tensions within the family.
Shortly before dawn, as security forces launched the arrest operation, clashes erupted with dozens of armed men protecting Jangi and his brother with gunfire heard in the area.
Sulaimaniyah court spokesman, judge Salah Hassan, told AFP that an arrest warrant was issued on Thursday for Jangi and several others "for conspiracy aimed at destabilizing security and stability.”
Jangi "surrendered" while "his brother Bolad was injured in the leg and was arrested” on Friday, an official said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.
