CTG Kurdistan

Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) or Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit are an elite special forces unit and the primary investigative arm of the Kurdistan Regional Government.^[3] 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 CIA in response to the growing influence and threat coming from Ansar al-Islam.^[4][5]

Counter-Terrorism Group
Sorani Kurdish: دەستەی دژەتیرۆری کوردستان romanized: Destey Dij be Terorî Kurdistan
CTG Logo
Active	2002 – present
Country	Iraq
Allegiance	Kurdistan Regional Government
Branch	Intelligence
Type	Special Forces
Role	Special Operations, Intelligence, Counterterrorism, Special reconnaissance, Unconventional warfare, Security
Size	>1000 (2010)
Garrison/HQ	Sulaymaniyah (Ground Forces)[1] and Arbat Airport (Air Force)[2]
Nickname(s)	"ISIS Hunting Club" and "Kurdish Tiger Force"
Motto(s)	Lexoman Parastin (lit.: “Those who give their lives to protect their people.”)
Engagements	War on terror Operation Viking Hammer 2003 invasion of Iraq War in Iraq (2013–2017) War against the Islamic State
Website	https://ctgkurdistan.com/
Commanders
Commander	Wehab Helebcî (2021)
Notable commanders	Polad, Lahur and Bafil Talebanî (formerly)

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 the local authorities in the whole of Iraq, not only in disputed regions.^[4]

History

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.^[6]

Group of CTG operators

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.^[6][7] Due to the group's effectiveness in combating ISIS, they adopted the nickname "ISIS Hunting Club".^[8]

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.^[9] 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.^[10]

In 2018, CTG units rescued 3 Peshmerga POWs in the Dibis region from ISIS captivity.^[11][12] 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.^[13]

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.^[14][15]

Cooperations

U.S. and British special forces like the Delta Force and the 22 SAS have maintained close partnerships with the CTG, offering extensive support in training and equipping the unit, as well as participating in joint operations. The support for Kurdistan's special forces increased significantly during the War against ISIS.^[16][17]

Equipment

According to the estimations of former commander Polad Talabani, each CTG operator carries around $60,000 worth of weapons and equipment during a mission. These include multicam uniforms, M4 carbine rifles, Barrett M82 sniper rifles, and night vision devices. After the U.S.' withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, the unit received no more equipment for a short period of time, therefore the CTG acquired, on its own, IAG Guardian armored vehicles from the UAE.^[6]

The unit also operates aircraft and helicopters at the Arbat Agricultural Airport and the Sulaimaniyah International Airport. The group's small air force is used for scouting and transportation operations. It consists of at least one Eurocopter EC225 medium-lift helicopter, three AS350B3 helicopters, two AutoGyro Europe MTO sport and at least two Blackshape Prime fixed-wing ultralight aircraft.^[18]