2 UN observers confronted by Kuwaiti military border guard

Two United Nations military observers from the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) were confronted today by a Kuwaiti military border guard at a checkpoint near Abdaly, a few hundred metres outside the UN-monitored demilitarized zone in Kuwait.

According to the Mission, the Kuwaiti guard came near the UN vehicle and first pointed his rifle at the shoulder of the UN officer before aiming the weapon at the head of the officer. At that point, one of the two UN officers showed their UNIKOM identification cards to another police guard while the gun was still pointed at them. About a minute later, the Kuwaiti military guards laughed and moved away from the scene of the incident, allowing the UN vehicle to pass.

Kuwaiti authorities have assured UNIKOM that they would be investigating the incident.