Iraq denies reports of gunfire on border with Kuwait

By Laith Al-Junaidi

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Iraqi Interior Ministry denied reports Friday alleging that gunfire had been directed from the Kuwaiti side at an Iraqi border position in Basra province, calling the claims baseless.

The ministry said the situation along the border remains “normal and stable,” dismissing the reports as false.

It urged media outlets to rely on official sources and avoid circulating unverified information that could inflame tensions or affect relations between Baghdad and Kuwait.

The ministry also warned it would pursue legal measures against those spreading what it described as fabricated reports that threaten public security.

The rumors surfaced against the backdrop of renewed diplomatic friction between the two neighbors about Iraq’s recent submission of maritime coordinates and maps to the United Nations.

Kuwait last week summoned Iraq’s chargé d’affaires to protest the move, arguing that the filing infringes on areas it considers under its full maritime sovereignty.

Baghdad said the deposit was carried out in line with international law of the sea, describing the delineation of its maritime boundaries as a sovereign right.

In August 1990, Iraq, under then-President Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait, leading to the 1991 Gulf War, during which a US-led international coalition expelled Iraqi forces after seven months.

Baghdad and Kuwait resumed relations in 2003 following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government.

After the invasion, the UN demarcated the land boundary between the two countries. But the demarcation did not settle all aspects of their maritime boundary, leaving certain maritime delimitation issues to be addressed bilaterally between the two oil-producing neighbors.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref