Hezbollah again denies any presence in Kuwait after latest Gulf state arrests

Hezbollah on Thursday again denied it had any presence in Kuwait, a day after the Gulf country announced more arrests of people allegedly linked to the Iran-backed group.

"For the third time, Hezbollah reiterates its complete denial of the accusations" made by Kuwait's interior ministry, the group said in a statement.

"Hezbollah has no presence in the state of Kuwait or any other country," the statement added, calling the accusations "removed from reality and devoid of truth."

On Wednesday, Kuwait's interior ministry said the country had arrested six people linked to Hezbollah who were planning "assassinations targeting symbols and leaders of the state" and who allegedly "recruited people to carry out these missions."

Five of the six people were Kuwaiti nationals, it said.

A statement issued after a Lebanese cabinet meeting on Thursday expressed "strong condemnation of these terrorist acts and Lebanon's full solidarity" with the Gulf country.

Lebanon's foreign ministry in a statement "affirmed Lebanese authorities' readiness to cooperate in the investigations."

It was at least the third set of arrests allegedly linked to Hezbollah that Kuwait has announced in recent weeks.

Last week, Kuwait said it had arrested 10 Hezbollah members who were planning attacks on vital infrastructure, while earlier this month it announced the arrest of 16 people, including two Lebanese, who it said had been planning acts of sabotage.

Hezbollah also issued denials after those announcements.

Kuwait has been repeatedly targeted with missiles and drones by Hezbollah's backer Iran during the Middle East war.

In previous years, Lebanon has faced tensions with Gulf states including Kuwait, which have expressed concern about Hezbollah's influence on the Mediterranean country.