Kuwait's parliament has passed a law giving security forces wider powers to search for and seize illegal weapons, following a series of deadly clashes with Islamic militants.
Lawmakers approved the bill Tuesday during a special session, and issued a statement expressing support for government moves to confront terror.
The legislation comes a day after security forces clashed with suspected militants, killing five suspects and arresting three others, including a suspected ring leader. Monday's gunbattle was the fourth in three weeks between security forces and suspected militants.
Kuwait's interior minister Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah said the government has succeeded in eliminating most of the militants, but will continue until the job is done.
Meanwhile, a militant group named for al-Qaida's Saudi chief Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin who was killed last year in Riyadh, said in an Internet statement it would continue fighting the Kuwaiti government until U.S. troops based in the emirate leave.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.