Kuwait busts terror cell with reported Hezbollah, Iran ties

Kuwait has broken up a new terror cell and seized large amounts of weapons, ammunition and explosives, the interior ministry said on Thursday.

Three Kuwaiti citizens were arrested and have confessed to joining a terror group, a statement said.

On Sunday, authorities said they were searching for three more suspects who may have been involved in smuggling weapons and scouting information on commercial shipping activity.

Local newspapers quoting unnamed security officials linked the cell to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah group.

Security forces seized “19 tons of ammunition” as well as 144 kilos (316 pounds) of TNT, as well as rocket propelled grenades, hand grenades, firearms and detonators, the ministry said.

It said the explosives were found in a farm in Abdali, near the border with Iraq, and in two houses in undisclosed locations.

Authorities said they expect to make more arrests in coming days, and are searching for three divers of Iranian nationality linked to the cell, Bahrain’s Gulf Daily News website reported.

According to the report, the three included divers who smuggled explosives and gathered intelligence on the movement of ships in the country.

Kuwait’s public prosecutor has issued a gag order to local media on information related to the police raid.

Public Prosecutor Dherar al-Asousi was quoted in the official Kuwait News Agency saying Sunday that he ordered the media blackout because speculative reports “harm” national unity and could “negatively impact” the investigation.

At the end of July, Kuwait said it had broken up a five-member cell of alleged members of the Islamic State group.

In June a Saudi bomber blew himself up in a Shiite mosque in Kuwait City, killing 26 people and wounding hundreds. The jihadist IS group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last month, Kuwait said it had broken up a five-member cell of alleged IS militants.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report