Friday, June 26, 2015

ISIS’ Wilayat Najd shatters GCC’s ironclad security perceptions

On June 26, ISIS’s Saudi Arabia-based branch, known as Wilayat Najd, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing against a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in central Kuwait City’s Sawabir area. Reports indicated that at least 24 people were killed and dozens injured in the attack. Initial reports also state that the suicide bomber is a Saudi national.

This is Wilayat Najd’s third suicide attack in two months. In May, two Shiite mosques were targeted in separate attacks, also during Friday prayers and also by Saudi nationals.

Context and Analysis

According to ISIS’s map of the “Caliphate” released in 2014, the “Hijaz” encompasses the majority of Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, and part of Oman. However, while these may be self-declared boundaries, real borders separate these countries. Wilayat Najd’s claim, therefore, demonstrates the group’s ability to conduct attacks and recruit members in other countries that fall under its self-declared purview.

In this context, even if the suicide attacker recently traveled from Saudi Arabia, he would still require assistance in Kuwait. Moving between countries by such an individual would be difficult enough, particularly given the capabilities and reach of the Saudi intelligence forces, but carrying explosives across borders would be exponentially more problematic. This points to an increased likelihood that a Kuwait-based cell operates as part of the broader Wilayat Najd. It also suggests the concerning possibility that similar groups exist or could exist in Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, and even Oman.

Wilayat Najd’s own perception of its borders thus makes joint security operations and intelligence sharing among the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations even more imperative. A meeting of relevant officials regarding efforts to improve and increase security cooperation should be expected. Kuwait is likely to follow in Saudi Arabia’s footsteps by heightening security at sensitive locations, including Shiite mosques, and conducting arrest operations for ISIS sympathizers. Under the existing circumstances the remaining GCC states may also follow suit with these or similar preemptive measures.

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