KUWAIT CITY, 20 February 2005 — Two main suspects wanted in connection to a terror group that planned to attack Americans and Kuwaiti security were arrested yesterday, an Interior Ministry official said.

The men surrendered to police without any exchange of fire at Al-Andalus, a suburb southwest of Kuwait City, the official said on condition of anonymity. He would not provide their names but he said they were Kuwaiti.

Kuwait has since Jan. 10 been locked in an unprecedented battle against extremists who authorities said were planning to attack American civilians living in Kuwait and members of the US military serving here or on their way to Iraq. Kuwait’s state security apparatus was also a target, according to authorities.

Four policemen and eight suspected terrorists were killed in clashes around the country last month. On Feb. 5, five wanted men surrendered to police in Sulaibiyah, west of the capital, but they were later released.

The alleged ringleader of the group, Amer Al-Enezi, died of a heart attack while in custody. He was arrested Jan. 31 in the largest shootout, in the Mubarak Al-Kabir area.

The group did not carry out any of its alleged plans. In one of their safe houses, near the border with Saudi Arabia, authorities found chemicals that could be used to make bombs and handwritten instructions for making them.

Some 40 suspects, including the wife of the ringleader, were referred to prosecutors for interrogation.

The alleged 24-member terror group included Jordanians, Saudis, Kuwaitis and stateless Arabs who have lived in the emirate for decades without becoming citizens.

This year’s clashes have shocked Kuwaitis by bringing the fight against terror to their streets and for the first time, spilling Kuwaiti blood.

Kuwait’s Islamic movements have condemned the clashes between police and militants, and offered to assist the government in its fight against extremism. The government has decided to clamp down on extremism in mosques, to reform school textbooks to reflect moderation, and launch a national anti-terror media campaign.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti lawyer known for defending militants was freed on bail yesterday after about three weeks in police custody on suspicion of giving financial help to a man wanted by security forces, his father said.

Osama Al-Munawer, who was detained on Feb. 1, was accused of giving money to Khaled Al-Dossari who has been wanted since July on charges of recruiting fighters for Iraq. “I received a call from the public prosecutor informing me that Osama will be freed today. We are currently doing the necessary procedures for his release,” Osama’s father Ahmad Al-Munawer said.

Munawer said his son was freed on a 2,000-dinar ($6,800) bail, which is a high amount by Kuwaiti judicial standards.

Osama, who has denied the charge against him, is expected to appear before court in a few weeks time.

According to local press reports, one of the militants arrested last month told investigators that he heard Al-Dossari saying that Osama gave him 300 dinars ($1,000) while he was at large.

Al-Dossari is also being sought by security forces on his possible involvement in the gunfights last month.

The Interior Ministry official said the suspects arrested yesterday were not Al-Dossari or Mohsen Al-Fadhli, who had been named before as most wanted men.

The Interior Ministry spokesman said the two militants who were arrested yesterday were not Al-Dossari and Muhsin Al-Fadhli, another most wanted man in Kuwait.

The emirate was rocked by four gun battles between security forces and militants in January in which eight suspects were killed and 14 captured.

Four security officers were also killed and 10 wounded in the clashes.

The alleged leader of the group Amer Khlaif Al-Enezi, who was arrested after a gunfight on Jan. 31, died on Feb. 8 while in police custody because of “heart failure” according to the Interior Ministry.