Sunday, 28 June 2015

Kuwait Arrests Suspects in Mosque Attack, Mourns Martyrs

Kuwait detained the owner of a car that took a bomber to Imam Sadek (AS) mosque to carry out the country's worst ever militant attack, officials said on Saturday, as thousands calling for national unity turned out to bury some of the 27 martyred.

ISIL claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing against 2,000 worshippers praying at the Imam al-Sadek mosque on Friday.

Officials said the bombing was clearly meant to stir enmity between majority Sunnis and Shiites and harm the comparatively harmonious ties between the sects in Kuwait.

In a statement, the information ministry said Kuwait would face the situation with "unity and solidarity". It reiterated what it called the government's strong stance on the freedom of religion and opinion, noting these were rights protected by the constitution.

The interior ministry, which reported the vehicle owner's arrest, said it was now looking for the driver who vanished shortly after Friday's blast in Kuwait.

A security source told Reuters "numerous arrests" had been made in connection with Friday's bombing.

At the burial site in the Sulaibikhat district, some waved Kuwaiti flags while others bore the large mourning banners.

Chants from the crowd included "Brothers of Sunni and Shia, we will not sell out our country," "No Sunni, no Shia, we are one Islam", "The martyrs are the beloved of God" and "Down with ISIL! Down with ISIL".

One group of mourners said they had traveled from Qatif in Saudi Arabia where 21 people were killed by an ISIL suicide bombing in May.

Two Iranian nationals were among those killed, foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham was quoted as saying by Iranian state media on Saturday.

Relatives of seven of those killed wept and prayed over their shrouded corpses at a mosque on Saturday, where they were waiting to be taken to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq for burial.

Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammed al Khaled al Sabah was quoted as saying by state news agency KUNA, "We will cut the evil hand that interferes with our homeland's security."


Source: Agencies	27-06-2015 - 19:27 Last updated 27-06-2015 - 19:27

قضية ساخنة | رسائل داعش عبر تفجيرات الكويت وتونس وفرنسا

“All-Out Confrontation” with Terrorism after Mosque Attack

Local Editor

Kuwait declared an “all-out confrontation” with terrorism, as the death toll of the terrorists attack which hit a Mosque on Friday rose to 27 martyrs.

The interior ministry said an unspecified number of suspects were held for questioning in connection with the attack that shocked the society of this small oil-rich Gulf state. No details were provided.

Suicide attack on Kuwaiti Mosque

The cabinet announced after an emergency meeting that all security agencies and police have been placed on alert to confront what it called “black terror”.

“The cabinet stresses that it will take whatever measures necessary to root out this scourge, and declares a relentless all-out confrontation with these terrorists,” said a statement after the meeting.

It also declared Saturday a day of mourning.
For his part, Health minister Ali al-Obaidi told Kuwait Television the number of dead had risen to 27 in addition to 227 wounded in the first ever suicide attack on Shiite mosques in the Gulf state.

The funerals of those martyred in the attack will take place on Wednesday.

An ISIL-affiliated group in Saudi Arabia, calling itself Najd Province, claimed responsibility for the terrorist blast, saying militant Abu Suleiman al-Muwahhid bombed the mosque.

ISIL (so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant), is a Takfiri group which operates in Iraq and Syria.