Opec member Kuwait has raised security to a "maximum" level around its oil facilities following Saturday's deadly gunbattle with militants in a key oil producing region, the energy minister said Sunday. "Precautionary security measures around oil facilities have been raised to the maximum level after clashes," with militants in the oil-rich southern region, Sheikh Ahmad Fahd al-Sabah told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting.
"The energy ministry is co-ordinating with the defence and interior ministries as well as the national guard in this respect," the minister said.
Kuwaiti security forces killed a Saudi militant and arrested three wanted Kuwaitis while two police men were wounded in the gunfight in Umm Al-Haiman district.
Umm Al-Haiman is 70 kilometers (44 miles) south of Kuwait City and just 30 kilometers from the Saudi border. It is only a few kilometers away from Arifjan which houses the largest US military base in Kuwait.
The district lies in the middle of Kuwait's lifeline oil industry where oil refineries, petrochemical industries, export terminals and pipeline networks are located.
Kuwait sits on 10 percent of the world's proven oil reserves and has a daily output of 2.3 million barrels.
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