ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)-affiliated Kurdistan Region Security Agency (Asayish) on Wednesday published a seven-page document implicating People’s Front leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi in an assassination attempt against PUK leader Bafel Talabani.

The Asayish document, which cites statements from the apprehended individuals from the Lalezar gunfight that saw Jangi arrested, as well as the agency’s own investigative efforts, outlines that the opposition leader has been implicated in “attempting to target and terrorize the leader of the PUK.” 

The report further accuses the opposition leader of engaging in efforts to sow chaos and unrest through threatening security forces and scaring civilians and government workers.”

Forces affiliated with the PUK launched an operation on Thursday night to arrest the head of the People’s Front opposition party and former PUK co-chair Lahur Sheikh Jangi, with a standoff at Jangi’s residence in the Lalezar Hotel escalating into an armed conflict between the two forces in the early hours of Friday, ultimately leading to Jangi’s arrest.

Jangi’s brother, Aras Sheikh Jangi, told The New Region on Saturday that Lahur’s forces, otherwise known as the Scorpion forces, suffered between 12 to 25 casualties as a result of the conflict, with another source close to the People’s Front leader saying that the death toll on Jangi’s side exceeded 20, while other sources suggested that the number might even be higher than 30 casualties. In contrast, official numbers put the death toll for the PUK-affiliated forces at three.

The Asayish statement also implicates Polat Sheikh Jangi, the People’s Front leader’s brother, as well as Azhi Ameen, the former director of the Zanyari intelligence service, in the assassination attempt. Polat was arrested with Lahur on Friday following the intense gunfight at the Lalezar Hotel.

“Further investigation led us to the belief that five surveillance teams (of two people) were organized, as well as another team tasked with carrying out the attack against the PUK leader,” said the statement, adding that two additional squads were spotted in residential units, one of which was a team of snipers while the other was tasked with controlling drones.

“All of the teams were supervised directly by (Lahur Jangi Burhan) and were positioned with direct support and coordination from (Polad Sheikh Jangi—Lahur Jangi Burhan’s brother) and (Azhi Ameen),” read the document. The alleged findings led to arrest warrants being issued for Lahur Sheikh Jangi under article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code, as well as Rebwar Qudrat, a suspect allegedly involved in carrying out the plot.

Asayish cited records of direct correspondence between Jangi and Qudrat on the WhatsApp messaging platform in their findings in addition to confessions from certain suspects.

“We lost him yesterday; be careful not to lose him today,” the document quotes text records between two of the surveillance team suspects as reading.

Asayish said that information acquired by them reveals “direct involvement” of Azhi Ameen in “providing equipment, devices, teams, groups, training, and planning in terror attempts.”

Footage of the confessions was also published in addition to the document. It is unclear, however, the circumstances under which the confessions were acquired.

Azhi Ameen was previously the head of the PUK’s intelligence service but was removed from the post seven months into his appointment after a conflict broke out between the party’s co-chairs at the time, Lahur Sheikh Jangi and Bafel Talabani, leading to the latter ousting the former as well as Ameen and replacing him with members loyal to himself. Talabani at the time claimed that there was an attempt to poison him.