The specter of civil war has returned to haunt Sulaymaniyah, the second-largest city in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
The sound of gunfire and scenes of thick smoke in the streets not only revived memories of the bloody 1990s but also exposed the fragility of internal dynamics and the danger of the conflict spilling over into wider issues beyond the region – and Iraq as a whole.
The clashes that erupted in late August between forces loyal to Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and his cousin Lahur Sheikh Jangi—former PUK co-leader and now head of the opposition People’s Front—were the fiercest since the civil war ended in 1998.
The region is already mired in a suffocating economic and political crisis pitting the Kurdish regional capital of Erbil against Sulaymaniyah, the region’s second-largest city. While Baghdad tries to remain neutral, Tehran is closely watching developments in a city with which it maintains strong security and economic ties. Any escalation in Kurdistan could ignite repercussions that risk drawing in regional powers.
The Spark
At dawn on August 22, security forces loyal to Bafel attempted to arrest Lahur Sheikh Jangi under a “judicial order.”
The forces surrounded the Lalezar Hotel – headquarters of the People’s Front and Lahur’s residence. When Lahur refused to surrender, heavy clashes broke out.
A Sulaymaniyah court had issued an arrest warrant against Lahur on charges of attempted murder and destabilizing city security. After fierce fighting, forces stormed the hotel and arrested him along with members of his family and party.
Medical sources told Alhurra that the death toll from both sides exceeded 10 – some bodies badly burned – while nearly 40 were wounded. Security sources said the crackdown extended beyond the hotel into a broader campaign of arrests against political and security leaders of the People’s Front.
Kurdistan’s security agency later broadcast “confessions” by Lahur’s men claiming they had plotted to assassinate Bafel Talabani using snipers and drones. The People’s Front dismissed these as a “weak, misleading scenario” fabricated to justify the crackdown.
Iran’s Role
Since the death of former Iraqi President and PUK founder Jalal Talabani in 2017, his son Bafel has maintained the party’s close alliance with Iran. The PUK controls much of the border with Iran and is widely seen as Tehran’s main ally in Kurdistan.
While no official alliance exists between the PUK and Iran-backed Iraqi militias, ties are close – evident in Bafel’s meetings with Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali and Babylon militia leader Rayan al-Kildani, both U.S.-designated terrorists.
Tehran has repeatedly launched missile attacks on Kurdistan – directly or through its proxies – citing the presence of Mossad bases, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, or U.S.-led coalition facilities.
Analysts differ: Some see Bafel’s move against Lahur as backed by Iran, while others argue Tehran views it as an internal PUK struggle as long as its interests are not threatened.
Why Now?
The rift between Bafel and Lahur dates back to 2021, when Bafel ousted his cousin from the PUK co-leadership, accusing him of corruption and running a “parallel security apparatus.” The split has since divided Kurdish society in Sulaymaniyah.
Analysts say the timing of Lahur’s arrest is tied to looming Iraqi parliamentary elections, with the PUK under pressure to maintain its base. Lahur retains tribal and popular influence, and his People’s Front has become an electoral rival.
Reports also link Lahur to sensitive intelligence, including alleged involvement in providing information that helped target Qassem Soleimani in 2020 – making him a liability to both the PUK and Iran.
A Cycle of Arrests and Division
Following the August clashes, dozens of Lahur’s allies were detained, alongside leaders of other opposition parties. Sulaymaniyah residents now fear a return to civil strife, recalling the 1990s conflict between the PUK and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which killed thousands and displaced tens of thousands.
Though the 1998 U.S.-brokered peace deal ended open war, it left deep divisions: Erbil under the KDP, Sulaymaniyah under the PUK—a fracture still shaping Kurdish politics today.
