Kuwait says it busted international ISIL support cell

Kuwaiti security authorities have busted an international cell that was sending air defence systems and funds to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, the interior ministry said.

The cell’s chief, a Lebanese man who was not named, confessed that he raised funds and provided logistical support for the group, which carried out deadly attacks in Lebanon and France last week, the ministry said on Thursday.

He acted as coordinator for ISIL in Kuwait and arranged arms deals and FN6 portable air defence systems from Ukraine, which were shipped to ISIL in Syria through Turkey.

The ministry did not provide details about the size of the arms deals.

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Besides the Lebanese mastermind, authorities arrested three Syrians, an Egyptian and a Kuwaiti and said four other members of the cell were from outside Kuwait – two Syrians and two Australians of Lebanese origin.

Several suspected ISIL members and sympathisers were tried in the Gulf emirate for a suicide bombing in June claimed by the group.

A court sentenced seven men to death and jailed eight others to between two and 15 years for assisting the Saudi bomber.

An appeals court is to issue its verdict in the case on December 13.

Earlier this month, the lower court sentenced five men to 10 years in jail each for raising funds for ISIL.

They were charged with raising about 400,000 Kuwaiti dinars ($1.3m) and sending it to ISIL, which has seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and carried out attacks throughout the Middle East.

Over the past year, Kuwaiti courts have issued several rulings against ISIL supporters.