Security beefed up in Kuwait

Kuwait is to step up security for an extended holiday this weekend in view of growing violence across the tiny oil-rich Gulf state.

Islamist insurgents have become active in the Gulf state

The holiday runs from Thursday to Sunday, combining the regular Muslim weekend with celebrations for National Day on 25 February and Liberation Day on 26 February – the 15th anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation in 1991 from a seven-month Iraqi occupation.

“All preparations are in place to start implementing the plan to deploy large numbers of police patrols in all areas and major intersections, markets and public parks and other places where people gather,” Brigadier-General Khalil al-Shamali said in a statement.

Warnings

There have been a series of clashes between the police and Islamist insurgents since the beginning of the year in Kuwait.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anbaa on Thursday quoted US diplomatic sources as saying the Central Intelligence Agency had warned five Arab nations, including Kuwait, of possible attacks against American targets by groups linked to al-Qaida.

There are some 13,000 US citizens living in Kuwait, which also hosts 25,000 US troops who use the country as a main base to transit to and from neighbouring Iraq.

Source: News Agencies