"The U.S. Mission to Iraq is closely monitoring the situation in Sulaymaniyah. We oppose any violence that threatens public safety and stability and urge all parties to show restraint," a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Baghdad told Rudaw English.
A Sulaimani court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Talabany, leader of People's Front (Baray Gal) party. Hours later, a large number of security forces were deployed to Lalezar Hotel, which Talabany has used as an office for his party since he was expelled from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in 2021.
In the early hours of Friday, clashes erupted between the security forces and Talabany's armed men after the opposition leader refused to surrender. Three members of security forces were killed, and 19 others were injured, according to local security forces. Rudaw has learned that one of the loyalists of Talabany was also killed.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) expressed its concern over the fighting and said it "regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from the recent clashes."
The UNAMI also called on all parties "to exercise restraint, refrain from any actions that could endanger the lives of civilians, respect human rights, and ensure a fair and impartial judicial process in line with the provisions of the Constitution."
Sulaimani court spokesperson told Rudaw that Talabany was arrested on murder charge.
Ankara, which has maintained rocky relations with Sulaimani's ruling PUK due to its alleged relations with Kurdish rebels in Turkey, said it is closely monitoring the developments.
Oncu Keceli, spokesperson for the Turkish foreign ministry, said its consulate in Erbil is in contact with relevant authorities to make sure that its citizens are safe.
Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have also reacted to the unrest, calling on parties to avoid violence.
Talabany's party called on foreign missions in the Kurdistan Region to speak up against the violent arrest of its leader.
"We call on all the representatives of countries that have consulates and representations in the Kurdistan Region as well as the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) not to be silent in the face of these uncivilized and terrorist acts and take legal and frank stances," read a statement from the party.
The British consulate in Erbil said it was "concerned" about the loss of lives in the skirmishes.
"The UK urges the relevant authorities to ensure that due process is followed, including applying principles of transparent and fair justice," added the consulate on X. "We will continue to follow the situation closely."
Bafel Talabani and Lahur Talabany are cousins and British citizens.
The party noted that Talabany holds several official positions, including his parliamentary membership. Lawmakers have parliamentary immunity. However, despite securing a seat, Talabany has not been sworn in - rendering him ineligible for the parliamentary immunity.
Baray Gal said that Talabany and others were arrested after five hours of "resistance" against security forces. It said it is holding Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani accountable for the unrest and responsible for the safety of all who were detained.
