Asayish (Kurdistan Region)

Asayish (Kurdish: ئاسایش, romanized: Asayîş, lit. 'security') is the domestic security agency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The organization was established in September 1993 and has been often referred to as an intelligence agency, security force, security service, security, secret service, secret police, or just "Kurdish police". It is distinct from the region's Kurdish police force but shares some responsibilities with it.

The Asayish is divided into two branches: one affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which primarily operates in Erbil and Duhok, and another affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which mainly operates in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja. The Asayish coordinates and shares information with its sister organization, the Kurdistan Region’s investigative and foreign intelligence agency, Parastin u Zanyari.