Hawkar Abdullah Rasoul, known as Hawkar Jaff, was a colonel in the ranks of PUK’s Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) but was fired in summer 2021 during an internal issue between cousins Bafel Talabani and Lahur Talabani - then co-leaders of the party. Jaff was killed in Erbil’s 32 Park neighborhood on October 7 after a sticky bomb, attached to his vehicle, detonated.
The Erbil-based KRSC announced the result of its investigations regarding the case late Wednesday, saying the crime was carried out by a group of ten people affiliated to the CTG. Six were arrested on Friday while the rest were able to flee to Sulamani. The KRSC said they have requested from Sulaimani’s security forces to hand over the suspects.
Jaff’s wife, two children and sister were also in the vehicle when it exploded. They were all injured, according to a statement from the KRSC which also published footage purportedly showing how the group planned and carried out the attack.
“Following the attack, the security apparatus of the KRSC started an investigation that resulted in the arrest of six perpetrators. During the interrogations, it was revealed that the attack has been conducted by a team of CTG-Sulaymaniyah and by direct orders from the head of CTG Wahab Majid Baqi, known as Wahab Halabjayi, and CTG head of intelligence Karzan Muhammad Rasheed,” read the statement.
However, the CTG denied any involvement in the death of Jaff, claiming that the publication of the video is political and a “scenario.”
“The whole plan which was carried out in Erbil on October 7, 2022 was designed by the Parastin [a force affiliated to the Kurdistan Democratic Party],” claimed the CTG, adding that the arrested are also members of the KRSC and that the way they were arrested would harm the reputation of the council.
The PUK was rocked by a power struggle in July 2021 as Bafel Talabani ousted Lahur Talabany. Bafel Talabani said the shakeup was to end abuse of party positions such as smuggling and extortion. The cousins’ internal issues escalated when Bafel Talabani decided to change the heads of the PUK’s intelligence agency and counter-terrorism units, who were affiliated to Lahur Talabany, replacing them with people loyal to himself.
Yasir Faysal Hussein, 37, is from Mosul. He replaced Hawkar as the head of CTG’s surveillance team in Erbil. Hussein appears in KRSC’s 27-minute video and confesses that he was instructed by Halabjayi and Rasheed to locate Jaff’s house and “terminate” him.
