Security forces in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region arrested opposition figure Lahur Sheikh Jangi on Friday after several hours of armed clashes, a security official told AFP.

Jangi, a member of the influential Talabani family, which is one of two ruling clans in the autonomous region, "surrendered" while "his brother Bolad was injured in the leg and was arrested", the official said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

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 destabilising security and stability".

Iraqi Kurdistan portrays itself as a haven of stability, but activists and opponents frequently denounce corruption, arbitrary arrests, and violations of press freedom and the right to protest.

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