Spring camps inspected in search for IS elements

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality is currently coordinating with the interior ministry to inspect some suspected spring camps with the goal of preventing IS elements from infiltrating through Kuwaiti deserts, wellinformed sources said.

The sources explained that a special integrated team is set to be formed to deal with various security as well as organizational matters related to camps. “The interior ministry is responsible for implanting security agents among the camps as well as intensifying morning and night patrols,” added the sources, underlining that all sites were being monitored by satellites.

Furthermore, the sources stressed that security ‘surveying’ and inspection would be done secretly by special undercover teams and that all reports made to either the municipality or interior ministry in this regard would be taken seriously.

In this regard, Municipal Council member Nayef Al-Sour warned the interior ministry as well as municipality officials of the presence of several ‘suspicious camps’ among those already licensed in addition to others outside the locations set by the municipality. “Those camps have to be closely watched by security forces to make sure they do not include any IS sleeping cells,” he warned, pointed out that the procedure would be of great importance in order to update licensed campers’ information.

Sour also described camp subleasing as a healthy business provided that it is regulated by law and stressed that all needed information about new campers had to be provided to relevant authorities. “The municipality should have used the fingerprint system in issuing camps licenses to make sure licensees were not legally wanted for any cases. Meanwhile, Municipal Council member Abdullah Al-Kandari urged both the municipality and interior ministry to immediately reveal the truth about discovering some illegal camps near Kuwait’s land borders and explain why they had not been removed nor inspected by security forces.