Unveiled Assassination Plot Sparks Turmoil Among Kurdish Factions

A shocking plot to assassinate Pavel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was unveiled by a PUK-controlled security agency in the Kurdish semi-autonomous region of Iraq. The revelation came via a video showing six guards alleging they were instructed to eliminate the PUK leader.

The video, broadcast by a PUK-linked service, showed a plan to station snipers with silencers in a building adjacent to Talabani's headquarters. The guards claimed Lahur Talabani, a prominent politician and Pavel's cousin, issued the orders. Lahur's office had no immediate comment, while a People's Front member accused the PUK of political suppression.

Tensions reached a boiling point when Lahur was arrested in a dramatic raid involving four hours of clashes, resulting in casualties on both sides. The incident, seen as part of a larger power struggle over Sulaymaniya, underlines the fragile stability in the region and poses a threat to its long-standing peace.

(With inputs from agencies.)