Kuwait Arrests Suspects after Mosque Attack
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Kuwait has declared an "all-out confrontation" with terrorism after a suicide bomber from the ISIL terrorist group struck a Shiite mosque in the Persian Gulf state's capital during Friday prayers, killing 27 people.
Health Minister Ali al-Obaidi told Kuwait Television the number of dead had risen to 27 in addition to 227 wounded in the first suicide attack on Shiite mosques in the oil-rich emirate.
The toll in the attack, carried out during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, is one of the largest in Kuwait's history.
The interior ministry said suspects had been held for questioning, but did not specify the number or provide any details.
The funerals of those killed will take place on Wednesday.
The cabinet announced after an emergency meeting 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.
The ISIL-affiliated group in Saudi Arabia, calling itself Najd Province, said militant Abu Suleiman al-Muwahhid bombed the mosque, which it claimed was spreading Shiite teachings among Sunni Muslims.
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group considers Shiites to be heretics.
The Najd Province group has claimed similar bombings at Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
The mosque's senior cleric, Abdullah al-Mazeedi, said the bombing targeted the rear rows of worshippers who numbered about 2000.
He said the blast damaged the interior and caused several chandeliers to fall.
The Kuwaiti Emir, who visited the site, said the criminal attack was a desperate and evil attempt targeting Kuwait's national unity.
Over the past few weeks, Kuwaiti courts have tried several people on charges of belonging to ISIL and sentenced at least one to several years in jail, according to AFP.