Kuwait mourns victims

AFP, KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait  held a mass funeral yesterday for 26 victims of a Shiite mosque bombing claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group as the shocked oil-rich emirate tightens security.
The interior ministry said in a statement yesterday that 26 people and the suicide bomber were killed and 227 others were wounded in one of the country's worst bombings and its first ever on a mosque.
The attack targeted Al-Imam Al-Sadeq mosque in the capital Kuwait City during Friday noon prayers.
The mosque authorities said in a statement that Kuwait martyrs will be laid to rest at the Shiite cemetery, west of the capital, at 4 pm (1300 GMT).
It said that condolences would be accepted for three days starting on Saturday at the Grand Mosque, the largest place of worship for Sunni Muslims, in a show of solidarity.
Kuwait's emir, the government, parliament and political groups and clerics have said the attack was aimed at stirring sectarian strife in the emirate.
Sunni religious and political groups were quick to condemn the attack carried out by the Islamic State, a radical Sunni group which considers Shiites to be heretics. Shiites form a third of Kuwait's 1.3 million native population.
The interior ministry has said an unspecified number of suspects were held for questioning in connection with the attack that shook the small Gulf state. No details were provided.
The cabinet announced after an emergency meeting Friday that all security agencies and police had been placed on alert to confront what it called black terror.
It also declared Saturday a day of mourning.
Shiite activist Abdulwahed Khalfan told AFP that security at Shiite mosques was beefed up and citizens' committees have been formed.

 

Kuwait mourns victims

AFP, KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait held a mass funeral yesterday for 26 victims of a Shiite mosque bombing claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group as the shocked oil-rich emirate tightens security. The interior ministry said in a statement yesterday that 26 people and the suicide bomber were killed and 227 others were wounded in one of the countrys worst bombings and its first ever on a mosque. The attack targeted Al-Imam Al-Sadeq mosque in the capital Kuwait City during Friday noon prayers. The mosque authorities said in a statement that Kuwait martyrs will be laid to rest at the Shiite cemetery, west of the capital, at 4 pm (1300 GMT). It said that condolences would be accepted for three days starting on Saturday at the Grand Mosque, the largest place of worship for Sunni Muslims, in a show of solidarity. Kuwaits emir, the government, parliament and political groups and clerics have said the attack was aimed at stirring sectarian strife in the emirate. Sunni religious and political groups were quick to condemn the attack carried out by the Islamic State, a radical Sunni group which considers Shiites to be heretics. Shiites form a third of Kuwaits 1.3 million native population. The interior ministry has said an unspecified number of suspects were held for questioning in connection with the attack that shook the small Gulf state. No details were provided. The cabinet announced after an emergency meeting Friday that all security agencies and police had been placed on alert to confront what it called black terror. It also declared Saturday a day of mourning. Shiite activist Abdulwahed Khalfan told AFP that security at Shiite mosques was beefed up and citizens committees have been formed.