Lahur Talabany

In February 2020, he was elected to serve as the Co-Leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) alongside his Bafel Talabani.

In 2013, Talabany was appointed as the Director of the Zanyari Agency (the Intelligence Unit of the PUK). Upon his appointment, one of Talabany's first actions was to incorporate the CTG into Zanyari Agency. The new framework adopted by the Agency was a historic shift as it was the first time in the Kurdistan Region that a military entity was integrated into an intelligence agency. Talabany has played a pivotal role in unifying the Kurdish intelligence apparatus as well as modernizing Zanyari to better combat evolving national and regional security threats. Since becoming director, Talabany has developed a strong strategic partnership with his counterparts in other services.

In 2003 Talabany played a leading role in the decisive Operation Viking Hammer to oust the Ansar Al-Islam terrorist organization, which was recognized as a major threat to Kurdistan’s national security. The operation’s success led to the permanent expulsion of Ansar Al-Islam from the Kurdistan Region.

From 1999 to 2001 Talabany served as the Special Representative of the PUK to Turkey. Having returned to the Kurdistan Region, he co-founded the Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) in 2002, which was established with the support of the United States Military 10th Special Forces Group and the Central Intelligence Agency. Talabany continues to play an integral role in the fight against terrorism. Talabany is a well respected and distinguished figure in the Iraqi political, military and intelligence communities. He has devoted his professional career to the Kurdish cause and is seen as a leading figure among the new generation of PUK cadres and enjoys favorable standing throughout Kurdistan, Iraq and the wider region. A staunch ally of the United States and the West, Talabany continues to be an influential and crucial figure in the security and political fields in Kurdistan, Iraq and the wider region. Having established strong foundations with key figures in Kurdistan and Iraq, Talabany also maintains good relations with prominent Arab leaders and influential Western and Middle Eastern states.

Lahur Talabany, born 1976; (Kurdish: لاهور تاڵەبانی) also known as Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabany is Co-Leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Director of the Zanyari Agency, one of two intelligence services in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq operating within the framework of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, and director of the Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) special forces group. Known commonly as Sheikh Lahur, Talabany is also a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Central Council and is a leading figure in the fight against terror. Talabany is also the Vice President of the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES).