Kuwait foils 'ISIS plot' targeting vital infrastructure and arrests suspect

Kuwait's security services have thwarted a terrorist plot targeting the country's vital infrastructure and apprehended a suspect connected to ISIS, according to reports. The Interior Ministry disclosed that the suspect was apprehended after undergoing "meticulous" security monitoring and surveillance operations. Investigations revealed that the suspect had undergone training in explosives manufacturing and drone operation, and had constructed a drone with the intent of targeting a critical facility.

The suspect is now being handed over to authorities for further legal proceedings. The ministry emphasized that it would continue to vigilantly monitor and counteract any activities and plans that endanger Kuwait's security and stability, firmly addressing any suspicious actions in compliance with the law.

Despite being driven out of its former territories in Iraq and Syria by 2019, ISIS continues to maintain cells in various countries globally. In the Gulf, ISIS was involved in an attack at a mosque in Oman in 2024, resulting in the deaths of six individuals. In 2024, Kuwaiti security forces also arrested two Kuwaiti citizens and three Tunisians in connection with an alleged ISIS plot against Shiites.

A suicide bombing, carried out by a Saudi citizen, claimed the lives of 26 worshippers and injured over 200 at a Shiite mosque in Kuwait in 2015.

The United Nations recently reported that ISIS has attempted to leverage the conflict in Iran by rallying supporters to engage in armed conflict. However, the organization is currently at a diminished state, retaining its propaganda and capacity to incite violence but lacking a cohesive strategy within its network. Gulf states have been grappling with numerous security challenges this year, including attacks by Iran and suspected domestic plots sympathetic to the Iranian regime.

In March, Kuwait arrested numerous individuals suspected of ties to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, with six suspects confessing to espionage and terrorist activities, including training in assassination techniques. Another 14 suspects, comprising Kuwaitis, Lebanese, and Iranians, were identified outside the country. Separately, authorities detained 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese citizens linked to an Iran-backed group over a "sabotage plot" within the Gulf nation.