Dubai: Kuwait has expelled 11 Lebanese and three Iraqis suspected of belonging to Hezbollah, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Monday, nearly three weeks after the country joined other Gulf Arab states in designating the Lebanese Shiite group a terrorist organisation.
Al Qabas cited a security source as saying the 14 people had been expelled at the request of the state security service. The Interior Ministry was not immediately available for comment.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) named Hezbollah, an Iranian-allied Islamist political movement that is fighting for President Bashar Al Assad in Syria’s civil war, a terrorist group on March 2.
The GCC, which groups six states -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar -- had already imposed sanctions on Hezbollah in 2013.
Al Qabas said Kuwait’s state security body had prepared a list of “unwanted” Lebanese and Iraqis, including advisers to major companies, for deportation “in the public interest”.
At the time of the GCC decision, Secretary-General Abdul Latif Al Zayani accused Hezbollah of recruiting young men to carry out terrorist attacks in Gulf states, smuggling in weapons and explosives, and inciting chaos, violence and political unrest.
Last week, it was announced that around 1,100 Lebanese and Syrian citizens living in Kuwait would be asked to leave the country over their links to Hezbollah.
Some of the men on the black lists have already been informed they had only one month to finalise their arrangements and leave Kuwait. Those categorised as “dangerous” would be deported immediately.
Bahrain has also Bahrain deported foreigners with proven links or support to Hezbollah. It said that the decision was based on its commitment to fight terrorism financing and money laundering. Saudi Arabia has warned of severe punishment for anyone who sympathised in any way with Hezbollah.
