Sixteen Shiite prisoners whose fate has been linked to that of Western hostages held in Lebanon were reported Saturday to be freed from prison in Kuwait City and trying to flee the emirate with forged passports.
A Lebanese Shiite group believed to be holding American hostages had offered in the past to set the Americans free in exchange for the freedom of the 16 Shiites, who were imprisoned in Kuwait City for their involvement in bombing Western embassies.The 16 men were reportedly let out of jail when Iraq invaded Kuwait Aug. 2.
Security sources in south Lebanon said Saturday that a Lebanese man, Abdel Aziz Krayem, who arrived in south Lebanon Friday from Kuwait, reported that he was held at Kuwait's State Security Prison along with the 16 Shiite prisoners.
Krayem, 40, who was serving a 15-year prison term for masterminding the bombing of Kuwaiti utilities, said the 16 were free and hiding in Kuwait City.
He said they were seeking forged passports from Lebanese Shiites living in Kuwait in order to leave the occupied emirate.
Krayem said he and the 16 escaped from their cells when families of Kuwaiti prisoners stormed the jail shortly after Iraqis invaded the city.
He said he succeeded in forging travel documents and arrived in Lebanon late Friday.
The 16 prisoners, all members of the pro-Iranian Islamic Jihad, include two Lebanese, six Iraqis and eight Kuwaitis of Iranian origin. They were imprisoned for attempting to bomb the U.S. and French embassies and the emirate's oil refineries.