Kuwait: Traffic police officer stabbed by violator while on duty

Dubai: A Kuwaiti traffic officer was stabbed by a motorist who violated traffic rules and was stopped to be issued a ticket, local media reported. The incident happened in in Jahra Governorate.

“The policeman was taken to hospital for treatment, and the culprit was arrested and referred to the competent authorities,” a security source was quoted as saying.

Police investigations revealed the 32-year-old suspect was born in Kuwait and is Bidoon (stateless individual). He had no identification papers when stopped by police and while the traffic officer was issuing him a ticket, he stabbed him with a sharp object. It happened that another police patrol was passing by and cops managed to rescue the injured police man and arrest the attacker.

Kuwait’s Interior Minister Thamer Al Ali Al Sabah visited victim.

The incident comes less than two weeks after a 19-year-old Syrian man stabbed a police officer to death in Kuwait just to avoid a traffic fine. After allegedly killing his mother who was a Kuwaiti national, the Syrian man identified as Ahmad then drove to Mahboula where he knocked down the policeman who tried to stop him.

The man then got out of his car and repeatedly stabbed the officer before running away to another area where he was later found by security forces. He was asked to surrender but an exchange of fire ensued with the police. The Syrian national was seriously wounded in the standoff and was eventually taken to Adan hospital where he died.

Accordingly, Kuwait’s interior ministry has issued new instructions making it mandatory to have at least two policemen in a patrol vehicle.

In a statement, the ministry also pointed out rules for the use of firearms by security officials while carrying out their duties.