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Security Footage Shows Suspected Suicide Bomber Entering Mosque in Kuwait

The video shows a man entering one of Kuwait City’s oldest mosques moments before a massive cloud of smoke and debris erupts from inside.
Photo by Raed Qutena/EPA

As thousands gathered in the streets of Kuwait City to mourn the 27 worshippers killed Friday during an attack carried out at one of the city's oldest mosques, footage of the suicide bomber believed to be responsible for the deadly blast ricocheted around the city via the messaging service WhatsApp.

The footage, which depicts a CCTV monitor replaying the contents of a security camera at Imam Sadiq mosque, bears the time-stamp 4:48pm, and the date June 26, 2015. Reflections of several men watching the footage are visible on the screen.

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The security footage itself shows a man in a traditional dishdasha and ghutra garments, arms folded across a barrel-sized chest — presumably concealing his explosive vest — entering the mosque. Less than a minute later, a massive cloud of smoke and debris erupts from inside.

Related: Islamic State Claims Deadly Bombing of Kuwaiti Mosque

More than 200 were injured in the bombing, according to the Associated Press, including a number of young boys. It was one of three attacks claimed on Friday by the so-called Islamic State. An IS affiliate calling itself Al Najd Province claimed responsibility for the Kuwait attack on Twitter. Al Najd Province is the same group that claimed responsibility for a pair of recent attacks on Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia.

Related: Graphic Video Shows Bodies Strewn Across the Beach During Rampage at Tunisian Resort

In its post, the group said the bomber, Abu Suleiman Al-Muwahhid, chose Imam Sadiq mosque because it was a "temple of the apostates." As hardline Sunnis, the IS faithful consider Shiite Muslims to be heretics. The bombing was the first major attack in Kuwait since 1983, when a series of bombings targeted Western embassies.

Follow Tessa Stuart on Twitter: @tessastuart