Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior announced on March 16, 2026, that security agencies had uncovered and dismantled a terrorist cell affiliated with the banned Hezbollah organization, resulting in the arrest of 14 Kuwaiti citizens and two Lebanese nationals. The group had been planning sabotage activities intended to undermine national sovereignty, destabilize security and recruit additional members, the ministry said in its statement. Raids conducted after securing legal authorization from the Public Prosecution led to the seizure of multiple items connected to the plot.
According to the ministry’s inventory, authorities recovered firearms and ammunition along with a weapon intended for assassinations, encrypted communication devices that included Morse code tools, drones, maps, narcotic substances, cash, training weapons and flags or images linked to terrorist organizations. The ministry reported that investigations were continuing and that all suspects would be referred to the competent Public Prosecution for further action. Officials described the operation as the outcome of intensive surveillance that prevented potential threats from materializing.
This disruption formed part of a wave of security actions against suspected Hezbollah networks in Kuwait throughout March 2026 amid heightened regional tensions. A subsequent ministry announcement detailed the arrest of another cell comprising five Kuwaiti citizens and one individual whose citizenship had been revoked for plotting assassinations targeting state figures, according to a report by The Media Line. Brigadier General Nasser Bouslaib, the ministry spokesperson, outlined those later findings in public statements carried by multiple regional outlets.
Kuwait has maintained a policy of designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and has previously dismantled similar cells in past years, as referenced in historical accounts cited by The Long War Journal. The ministry has consistently warned that collaboration with such external groups would not be tolerated, framing national security and sovereignty as an absolute red line in its March 16 statement. Data compiled from Kuwaiti government releases indicate repeated attempts by the Iran-backed group to establish local footholds.
The initial operation’s findings aligned with details later corroborated in reporting by Asharq Al-Awsat, which noted the cell’s focus on espionage capabilities and recruitment alongside the physical items recovered. All 16 individuals from the primary cell faced charges tied to terrorism and threats against state security, the authorities confirmed. Judicial proceedings were expected to draw on the seized evidence and ongoing interrogations.
In its announcement the Ministry of Interior reiterated that any sympathy toward or cooperation with prohibited terrorist entities would meet strict enforcement measures. The statement underscored that the arrests served to protect Kuwait from external interference aimed at its stability. Further details on the full scope of the network remained under investigation at the time of the initial disclosure.
