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Members of a group supporting People's Front Party Chairman Lahur Sheikh Jangi, arrested in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq, have confessed to planning assassinations of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Chairman Bafel Talabani and KRG Vice President Kubat Talabani, with intentions to frame either Iran or Türkiye for the attacks.
Security forces in Sulaymaniyah detained supporters of People's Front Party Chairman Lahur Sheikh Jangi. During interrogations, group members admitted to planning assassinations targeting PUK Chairman Bafel Talabani and KRG Vice President Qubad Talabani.
The detainees' statements were broadcast by a television channel in Sulaymaniyah.
The arrested group members stated that Sulaymaniyah Intelligence Chief Azhey Amin was also involved in the assassination plan, which aimed to use snipers and kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
According to their statements, the plan involved a sniper attack on Talabani's vehicle followed by kamikaze UAV strikes. The suspects stated that necessary equipment and cameras had been acquired, and a technical team had received specialized training in Ukraine on UAV construction.
One of the technical experts among the defendants stated: "On the night of the Lalezar Hotel attack, we took the unmanned aerial vehicles to the building's roof. I directed one to the old Peshmerga administration building and the other to Dabashan. However, due to heavy fire, we couldn't fly the remaining 2 UAVs."
"The same night, two more Ukrainian-made UAVs with a range exceeding 300 kilometers were sent from Erbil to Sulaymaniyah, but I don't know where they were directed," the defendant added.
According to the confessions, Sheikh Jangi and Emin planned UAV bombardments to create the impression that the attack was carried out by Iran or Türkiye.
Last Thursday night in Sulaymaniyah, clashes broke out between security forces and bodyguards of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, who had an arrest warrant against him. Following the confrontation, Jangi and his brothers, Polat Jangi and Asu Jangi, were captured by security forces.
At least three people died in the clashes, and more than 10 were injured.
The Sulaymaniyah Investigation Court had issued an arrest warrant for Jangi under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code on "charges related to public order and security."
Local sources reported that Lahur Sheikh Jangi gave testimony before a public order court judge in Sulaymaniyah's Qalacholan region last Saturday.
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Lahur Sheikh Jangi was removed from his co-chairmanship position in the PUK by Bafel Talabani's decision in 2021. He later established the People's Front Party in 2024 and participated in the KRG parliamentary elections, winning two seats.
Lahur, son of Jangi Talabani, brother of Jalal Talabani, was born in 1975 in the Koysancak district of Erbil. Forced to migrate to Iran with his family in 1988, Lahur stayed in that country for two years before seeking asylum in the United Kingdom in 1990.
After completing his university education in Britain, Lahur served as PUK's representative in Türkiye from 1999 to 2002.
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