Iraqi Kurdish forces say they arrested US citizen after Sulaymaniyah clashes

Iraqi Kurdish security officials said on Friday said they had arrested an American citizen accused of training an illegal militia in northern Iraq.

Colonel Salam Abdulkhaliq, a spokesman for the Kurdistan Region Security Agency, said Brian Wilson had been detained on 22 August in the Lalezar Hotel in Sulaymaniyah during fighting between forces from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Dupishk (Scorpion) militia, a breakaway group.

During questioning, Abdulkhaliq claimed that Wilson admitted he had independently, without the knowledge of the US government, helped form, train and provide field instruction to the Dupishk militia.

Abdulkhaliq told Iraqi Kurdish media outlet Channel 8 that Wilson had been working as a contracted trainer for the militia. The arrest was carried out under a judicial warrant, and Wilson remains in custody as legal proceedings continue.

When reached for comment by The New Arab, Abdulkhaliq declined to provide further details but confirmed his earlier statement.

The US State Department refused to confirm the arrest to The New Arab, but said that it “take[s] seriously our commitment to assist U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad".

The PUK is led by Bafel Talabani, while the Dupishk militia is loyal to his cousin Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani.

Lahur formed the opposition People’s Front in 2024 after losing a power struggle for control of the PUK, which is the dominant group in the eastern regions of the Iraqi Kurdistan autonomous region.

The fighting at the Lalezar Hotel broke out after Bafel accused Lahur of attempting a coup and trying to assassinate him. At least five people were killed and Lahur was among dozens of people detained following the clashes.