Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly attack on Kuwait Mosque

A deadly explosion ripped through a Shiite mosque in a busy neighbourhood of Kuwait’s capital after Friday prayers, witnesses said.

Mohammed al-Faili, 32, told The Associated Press that his 70 year-old father was killed in what appeared to be a bombing attack. Two of his brothers were also wounded by the explosion. Speaking to the AP by telephone, he said he was not at the mosque at the time of the explosion but was heading to the morgue to identify his father’s body.

The official Kuwait News Agency reported that an explosion struck the Imam Sadiq Mosque, which is located in the neighbourhood of al-Sawabir, a residential and shopping district of Kuwait City. The agency confirmed that there were multiple casualties and injuries, but did provide any figures.

Paramedics at the mosque say at least two people were killed. Police formed a cordon around the mosque’s complex immediately after the explosion, banning people from entering or gathering near the area. Ambulances could be seen ferrying the wounded from the site.

Abdullah al-Saffar, who was at the mosque, said the explosion took place just after midday Friday prayers.

Friday midday prayers are typically the most crowded of the week, and attendance increases during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which started last week.

Militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in Kuwait that killed or wounded several people, according a statement posted on social media.

The statement identified the bomber as Abu Suleiman al-Muwahed and said the target was a “temple of the rejectionists” - a term used by the Islamist militant group to refer to Shi’ite Muslims - and said dozens were killed or wounded.

Source: AFP/Reuters file