An update on my previous posts from an Iraqi journalist who was there:

Yesterday evening [16 February] a serious incident took place inside Sulaymaniyah where so called anti-terror para-military group suvervised by Talabani family [reportedly Talabani’s son Bafel and Talabani’s nephew Lahour Shekh Jangi] stormed Gorran-Change List elections campaigners in Salim Street and opened fire which resulted in wounding about 10 people.
This was not the only problem, after the wounded were taken to hospitals, the para-military group stormed the hospital and took away all the wounded people to an unkown location.
These are the names of the people kidnapped by the anti-terror group: (1) Peshraw Ahmed; (2) Nizar Ahmed; (3) Luqman Aziz Karim; (4) Ziryan Sirwan Abdulla; (5) Sherko Mahmoud Hassan; (6) Abbas Omer Halalaw; (7) Najmaddin Ahmed Sabir; (8) Rebaz Aras Qadir; (9) Jwanro Mohammed Ahmed; (10) Hadi Baqi Hama Salih; (11) Azad Mohammed Mohammed Ali.
Here are press reports about the incidents in Kurdish (Sbeiy, Lvin, Hawlati, Awene).
This is the most serious incident ever for many years. It may jeopardise the elections process underway and the entire security and stability in the region and may spark civil war.
Also, this evening 17 February, the same para-military group headed by Talabani family opened fire again to disperse huge number of Gorran supporters around the same location in Salim Street.

Another journalist writes in with a report of the February 17 incident:

I am sending this email and hear gun shots now in Suli, I just came back from the street rally of change, there were many people including the change candidates, also PUK supporters were there each took a side of the street with flying flags. Security forces with wearing mask were in between., the change supporters were saying anti corruption slogans and yelled at PUk…immediately the forces started shooting.. I heard the change supporter yelled at the forces: “you can scare us we don’t go” . . .
Actually people are angry with theses gun shots at night, even scared the foreigner living in Suli especially the American staff of the Americans university who they are living in apartment near the street of the night rally. now PUK media issued a statment accusing the Change of security disorder in Suli and confirmed the forces arrested many for “ violating election rules.”