Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) is a government agency and the primary investigative arm belonging to the

Kurdistan Regional Government The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is the official executive body of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. The cabinet is selected by the majority party or list who also select the prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdish poli ...

Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan () refers to the Kurds, Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of Greater Kurdistan in West Asia, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdist ...

, headquartered in

Sulaymaniyah Sulaymaniyah or Slemani (; ), is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is the capital of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is surrounded by the Azmar (Ezmer), Goizha (Goyje) and Qaiwan (Qeywan) Mountains in the northeast, Bara ...

. The organization is now a governmental agency that was established by PUK's intelligence service (called ''Ajansi Zaniyari'') under the name CTG was first established in 2002 by the Patriotic Union with support from the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and the CIA as a response to the growing influence and threat from

Ansar al-Islam Ansar ul Islam or Ansar al-Islam (; "Partisans of Islam" or "Helpers of Islam") may refer to: * Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan, a Kurdish Salafist group in Northern Iraq. * Jama'at Ansar al-Islam, a Kurdish-dominated Salafist group in Iraq and Syria ...

in the areas which was the former Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan. The primary function of the agency is investigation of crimes relating to both the internal and external security of the Kurdistan region. The agency officially has power to arrest holds jurisdiction over a number of crimes in the region including terrorism. Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) collects intelligence and carries out operations to prevent terrorists from destabilizing the Kurdistan region in cooperation with U.S. forces.

References

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Resources

Official CTG KURDISTAN Website
Military of Iraq