Attacks repelled as Kuwait seals skies

KUWAIT CITY, March 10: Official spokesperson of the Defense Ministry Colonel Saud Al-Atwan announced that the Kuwait Armed Forces intercepted a wave of hostile aerial targets on the airspace of the country from dawn until midnight on Monday. In a statement issued by the General Command of the Army, Al-Atwan revealed that air defense systems detected, intercepted and destroyed these targets, while a hostile drone was shot down. He clarified that the sounds of explosions heard in some areas are due to the air defense operations against the hostile targets. He urged the public to strictly comply with the security and safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities. He emphasized that the Kuwait Armed Forces maintain the highest level of readiness to deal with threats and anything that targets the security and stability of the country.

Meanwhile, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior Brigadier General Nasser Bousalib reiterated the warning against approaching suspicious objects or debris, urging people to report such objects immediately through the emergency number 112. Bousalib said the concerned authorities responded to reports on falling debris in several locations, indicating the specialized field teams dealt with these reports swiftly and efficiently. He added that the explosive ordnance disposal teams handled reports about shrapnel from defensive interception operations. He confirmed the continuous preparations and coordination among the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of everyone. He said the activation of sirens is one of the precautionary measures being taken under the current circumstances.

•Two enemy ballistic missiles were intercepted and destroyed

• One enemy drone shot down

• Operations took place from dawn until midnight

• Detection and interception location: southern region
Reports and field actions

• 16 reports on shrapnel handled by explosive ordnance disposal teams

• 314 total reports since the beginning of the aggression

• Four recent siren activations

• 80 total siren activations since the beginning of the attacks

In an interview with Kuwait TV, Al-Mansouri clarified that these efforts were already underway even before the crisis, but the workload and pressure have intensified due to the current circumstances. He disclosed that the department deals daily with violations, abuses and attempts circulating on social media that could undermine national security.

He affirmed the cooperation between the Cybercrime Department and Public Relations and Security Media General Department. He stated the Cybercrime Department handles reports and content by tracking reactions on various social media platforms or analyzing circulated videos. He explained that in some cases, arrests cannot be announced for security reasons. He then underscored the importance of exercising caution when using social media and avoiding reposting or engagement with any content that could inadvertently harm national security.

He warned that certain interactions may unintentionally serve hostile entities. He urged the public to follow official and reliable accounts to obtain accurate information and to avoid being influenced by rumors or accounts that could negatively affect public morale. In a related development, Al-Mansouri stressed the importance of not frightening or alarming children at home about current events, as such behavior could have psychological effects on them. He also pointed out that the ministry is working hard to provide awareness services in sign language for the hearing impaired, in coordination with its Information counterpart, in addition to conveying awareness messages in several languages to better serve the public. He emphasized the crucial role of parents and sponsors in reassuring those around them, including the domestic workers.

On Tuesday, Ministry of Social Affairs Undersecretary Dr. Khaled Al- Ajmi said the cooperative societies are among the fundamental pillars of the food and consumer security systems in the country. In a press statement during an inspection tour in a number of cooperatives recently, Al-Ajmi affirmed that the field indicators proved the stability of the strategic stock of basic and consumer goods, and the continuous supply operations at a normal and regular pace, ensuring that consumer needs are met without any obstacles.

He said this is in accordance with the directives of the political leadership, decisions of the Council of Ministers, and instructions of Minister of Social, Family and Childhood Affairs Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailah. He added that the aim is to guarantee market stability and the availability of essential goods for citizens and expatriates. He revealed that the tour included reviewing inventory management mechanisms and the organization of display and sales operations in cooperatives, monitoring the procedures followed to ensure the smooth flow and continuous availability of goods to maintain the stability of the food system and meet consumer needs, listening to the opinions and suggestions of cooperative society officials and employees, as well as a number of consumers, enhancing direct communication with various parties involved in cooperative work, and identifying challenges and observations that contribute to improving performance and services. He confirmed that the ministry focuses on the cooperative sector, recognizing its leading economic and social roles in the country.

He said the ministry works continuously to support this sector and develop its operational efficiency to meet the current needs and to better serve the public. He also stressed the need to maintain the highest level of operational readiness, raise the inventory management efficiency, and guarantee the availability of goods. He pointed out that this is a manifestation of the vital role of cooperatives in serving the community and stabilizing the food security system. In latest development, Iran launched new attacks on Tuesday at Israel and Gulf Arab countries as it kept up pressure on the Middle East in a war started by Israel and the United States that has rattled world markets and shows no signs of a letup.

In Bahrain, authorities said an Iranian attack hit a residential building in the capital, Manama, killing a 29-yearold woman and wounding eight people. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed two drones over its oil-rich eastern region and Kuwait’s National Guard said it shot down six drones. In the United Arab Emirates, firefighters battled a blaze in the industrial city of Ruwais - home to petrochemical plants - after an Iranian drone strike, officials said.

No injuries were reported. Sirens also sounded in Jerusalem, and sounds of explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s defense systems worked to intercept barrages from Iran. At the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Tuesday “will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran: The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever.”

By Munif Naif and Fares Ghaleb Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies