Gunmen who attacked marines 'not acting alone'

Two Kuwaitis who attacked US marines were not acting alone and one headed a group that was planning more assaults on Americans, an Kuwaiti Interior Ministry official said today.

However, he said no connection had been established yet between the pair and Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network.

Anas al-Kandari, who was shot dead by US troops after he and his cousin killed one marine and injured another, led a “cell of around 15 people,” the official said.

Al-Kandari, 21, and his 26-year-old cousin Jassem al-Hajiri were both identified as Muslim extremists who trained and fought in Afghanistan.

They were gunned down after attacking the marines, who were taking a break from routine training on Failaka Island, 10 miles off the coast of Kuwait City.

“Yes, there is a group behind Anas and Jassem ... and they were planning other operations including some against American installations that could have been the embassy and housing of personnel connected to the military,” the Interior Ministry official said.

The official confirmed the attackers trained in Afghanistan but said: “So far, there has been no proof of their connection to al-Qaida.” The government has called the attack a “terrorist act”.