Iraqi movement urges Baghdad to summon Kuwait's envoy over detained fishermen

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Basra-based movement opposing the Khor Abdullah agreement has called on the Iraqi government to investigate reports that Kuwaiti coast guard boats opened fire on an Iraqi fishing vessel and detained five Iraqi fishermen. The group, led by lawmaker Amir al-Jabbar, said in a written statement that if confirmed, the incident would constitute a new violation of Iraq's sovereignty and the rights of its citizens in territorial waters. The statement noted that the Foreign Ministry has remained officially silent and urged the government to take immediate diplomatic and legal action. It also called on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to intervene directly, summon Kuwait's ambassador in Baghdad to lodge a formal protest, secure the fishermen's release and ensure that similar incidents do not recur. According to the movement, the fishermen were from the Faw district in southern Basra. It said contact with them was lost in Iraqi territorial waters before a Kuwaiti coast guard patrol fired on the vessel and took the fishermen to Kuwaiti territory. No official statement has yet been issued by either the Iraqi or Kuwaiti authorities on the reported incident.