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CTG Kurdistan
Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) or Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit is a Peshmerga unit and the primary investigative arm of the Kurdistan Regional Government. The unit was established by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) intelligence service (called Ajansî Zanyari) in 2002 with support from the United States and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in response to the growing influence and threat coming from Ansar al-Islam.
The unit’s primary responsibilities include investigating crimes, gathering intelligence, and conducting raids on terrorist cells, all in support of maintaining both the internal and external security of the Kurdistan Region. The unit holds official authority to arrest individuals and has jurisdiction over a range of crimes within the region, with a primary focus on terrorism. The CTG operates with the permission of local authorities in the whole of Iraq, including the disputed regions.
The CTG played a major role in the war on terror, considering its size and experience at the time. Shortly after its founding in 2002, the CTG successfully took part in the U.S.-led Operation Viking Hammer together with the 10th Special Forces Group, to eliminate Ansar al-Islam terrorists in Halabja. In 2004 the CTG captured the infamous Al-Qaeda terrorist Hassan Ghul, and turned him over to the U.S.-American intelligence service. During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the CTG frequently conducted missions against Abu Musab az-Zarqawi's Al-Qaeda network. In 2009, the CTG's operational capabilities were fully occupied, due to many kidnappings. One particularly difficult, but successful, rescue operation was conducted in Sadr City, Baghdad, after the kidnapping of a Kurdish child. This resulted in a diplomatic pat between the governments of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, in which the Iraqis accused the CTG of being an "out-of-control rogue unit". Polad Talabani, the then-commander, rebuked any such claims, stating that he sent numerous requests for assistance to the Iraqis, all of which went unanswered.
In the War against the Islamic State (ISIS) the unit gained massive importance again and was trained and supplied by various Western militaries and special forces. In the Kurdistan Region and Iraq the unit operated in Erbil, Mosul, Kirkuk, Diyala, Makhmur, Jalawla and other regions. The CTG has participated in nearly every Peshmerga offensive in the south of the Kurdistan Region. Due to the group's effectiveness in combating ISIS, they adopted the nickname "ISIS Hunting Club".
The group has also been active in the Kurdish regions of Syria. In 2014 the group helped in the airdropping of supplies, to the besieged town of Kobane. In an apparent special operation involving V-22 Ospreys, CTG operators may have participated in the assault on the Tabqa Dam in 2017, together with U.S. special forces.
In 2018, CTG units rescued 3 Peshmerga POWs in the Dibis region from ISIS captivity. In the same year CTG forces were deployed to Kirkuk city, which was captured by the Iraqi Army in the 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict a few months earlier. The CTG's task was to secure the Kurdish Newroz celebrations.
In May 2021, Yahoo! News reported that the CTG were involved in the Assassination of Qasem Soleimani. Allegedly CTG operators were deployed on the ground in Baghdad, dressed up as civilians, airport personnel and police officers. They helped to track down Soleimani's movements near the Baghdad International Airport, assisted U.S. sniper teams and confirmed Soleimani's death by taking photographs and obtaining a tissue sample for DNA confirmation.
In July 2021, Polad and Lahur Talabani, two influential commanders within the CTG and co-chairs of the PUK, were expelled from the party by their cousins, Bafel and Qubad Talabani, during a power struggle. The CTG’s command was also reorganized, with members loyal to Bafel installed in key positions.
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CTG Kurdistan
Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) or Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit is a Peshmerga unit and the primary investigative arm of the Kurdistan Regional Government. The unit was established by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) intelligence service (called Ajansî Zanyari) in 2002 with support from the United States and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in response to the growing influence and threat coming from Ansar al-Islam.
The unit’s primary responsibilities include investigating crimes, gathering intelligence, and conducting raids on terrorist cells, all in support of maintaining both the internal and external security of the Kurdistan Region. The unit holds official authority to arrest individuals and has jurisdiction over a range of crimes within the region, with a primary focus on terrorism. The CTG operates with the permission of local authorities in the whole of Iraq, including the disputed regions.
The CTG played a major role in the war on terror, considering its size and experience at the time. Shortly after its founding in 2002, the CTG successfully took part in the U.S.-led Operation Viking Hammer together with the 10th Special Forces Group, to eliminate Ansar al-Islam terrorists in Halabja. In 2004 the CTG captured the infamous Al-Qaeda terrorist Hassan Ghul, and turned him over to the U.S.-American intelligence service. During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the CTG frequently conducted missions against Abu Musab az-Zarqawi's Al-Qaeda network. In 2009, the CTG's operational capabilities were fully occupied, due to many kidnappings. One particularly difficult, but successful, rescue operation was conducted in Sadr City, Baghdad, after the kidnapping of a Kurdish child. This resulted in a diplomatic pat between the governments of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, in which the Iraqis accused the CTG of being an "out-of-control rogue unit". Polad Talabani, the then-commander, rebuked any such claims, stating that he sent numerous requests for assistance to the Iraqis, all of which went unanswered.
In the War against the Islamic State (ISIS) the unit gained massive importance again and was trained and supplied by various Western militaries and special forces. In the Kurdistan Region and Iraq the unit operated in Erbil, Mosul, Kirkuk, Diyala, Makhmur, Jalawla and other regions. The CTG has participated in nearly every Peshmerga offensive in the south of the Kurdistan Region. Due to the group's effectiveness in combating ISIS, they adopted the nickname "ISIS Hunting Club".
The group has also been active in the Kurdish regions of Syria. In 2014 the group helped in the airdropping of supplies, to the besieged town of Kobane. In an apparent special operation involving V-22 Ospreys, CTG operators may have participated in the assault on the Tabqa Dam in 2017, together with U.S. special forces.
In 2018, CTG units rescued 3 Peshmerga POWs in the Dibis region from ISIS captivity. In the same year CTG forces were deployed to Kirkuk city, which was captured by the Iraqi Army in the 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict a few months earlier. The CTG's task was to secure the Kurdish Newroz celebrations.
In May 2021, Yahoo! News reported that the CTG were involved in the Assassination of Qasem Soleimani. Allegedly CTG operators were deployed on the ground in Baghdad, dressed up as civilians, airport personnel and police officers. They helped to track down Soleimani's movements near the Baghdad International Airport, assisted U.S. sniper teams and confirmed Soleimani's death by taking photographs and obtaining a tissue sample for DNA confirmation.
In July 2021, Polad and Lahur Talabani, two influential commanders within the CTG and co-chairs of the PUK, were expelled from the party by their cousins, Bafel and Qubad Talabani, during a power struggle. The CTG’s command was also reorganized, with members loyal to Bafel installed in key positions.
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