KUWAIT: Kuwaiti defense and interior personnel were very much active throughout the passing year; primarily involved in logistics of combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and clamping down on smugglers. The following are highlights of record activities by the defense and interior personnel in 2020:
Feb 12: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) announced the death of six people and the injury of three others in a landslide at Mutla housing project.
Feb 27: The Interior Ministry suspended the use of civil ID cards temporarily as part of the efforts to counter COVID-19.

March 7: A fire in Sabah Al-Ahmad residential area killed eight children.
March 15: The Ministry of Defense converted a camp in Sabhan to a field hospital for COVID-19 quarantine.
April 2: The Directorate General of Civil Defense revealed that 25,000 persons volunteered to join efforts against the novel coronavirus.
April 8: The Ministry of Defense declared that a Kuwaiti military plane boarding medical supplies arrived from China.

April 11: Kuwait Army declared a plane of the Indian Air Force arrived with medical teams and equipment onboard.
April 19: The Ministry of Defense declared the arrival of a Jordanian military plane with medical teams and equipment onboard.
April 26: The Ministry of Defense declared a Jordanian aircraft boarding medics and medical devices arrived in the country.

May 3: The Ministry of Defense declared a military aircraft that flew from China arrived with medical equipment on its board.
May 11: The Ministry of Interior declared arresting a person with one million pills of the addictive drug Captagon in his possession.
May 11: The Ministry of Defense declared that a Kuwaiti military plane coming from China arrived with a cargo of medical supplies on its board.
May 12: The border Al-Nuwaiseeb border checkpoint witnessed the passing back of the first returning Kuwaitis from Saudi Arabia.

July 2: The Ministry of Interior declared finding a fugitive dead at his house in Sabah Al-Salem district. The wanted committed suicide inside the home.
Oct 16: Huge fire erupted at the one million square meters' Al-Shagaya tires dumping site. Firefighters put out the blazes that raged within a 25,000 square meter part of the place. No casualties were inflicted.
Oct 12: An Amiri Decree appointed Lieutenant General Khaled Saleh Al-Sabah as Kuwait Army Chief of Staff and Major General Fahad Al-Nasser as Deputy Chief of Staff and promoting him to the Lieutenant General rank.

Oct 26: The electoral department of the Ministry of Interior declared the start of nomination for membership in the National Assembly's 16th legislative term. Registration would proceed until November 4.
Nov 4: The Ministry of Interior declared aborting a plot to smuggle into the country 270 kilograms of narcotic pills 'shabo'.
Nov 12: The MoI opened the center for traffic transactions for citizens of special needs.
Nov 23: Kuwait held a funeral for seven martyrs who had sacrificed their souls during the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion, after their remains were handed over and their identities were verified.

Dec 2: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh indicated that over 417 companies were referred to court due to violations of residency laws for workers and other mishaps.
Dec 17: The Kuwaiti Army announced the arrival of the first batch of H225M Caracal helicopters into Ali Al-Salem Air Base. The order included 30 aircrafts.
Dec 17: The Interior Ministry foiled the smuggling of two million amphetamine pills, arms, and liquor into the country. - KUNA