Iraq: Clashes in Sulaymaniyah Following Attempt to Arrest the Leader of the People's Front Party

The city of Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq, witnessed severe security tensions that escalated into violent clashes, following the security forces surrounding a hotel where the leader of the Kurdish People's Front Party, Lahur Sheikh Jangi, was present to execute a judicial order for his arrest.

Jangi refused to surrender to the authorities, leading to confrontations between his supporters and the security forces.

Media outlets close to Lahur Jangi reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani had a phone call with him, urging calm and restraint in an attempt to contain the escalating situation.

For his part, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, issued a statement calling for an immediate halt to the clashes and preventing bloodshed, warning that this escalation threatens the security and stability of the region.

Barzani called for resolving all disputes through legal and constitutional channels, emphasizing that he is in contact with all concerned parties to work on calming the situation.

This escalation comes at a sensitive time when Iraq is facing security and economic challenges, most notably the tightening of penalties for environmental violations, as the government imposed a financial fine of up to 10 million dinars per month on entities not complying with environmental standards.