Kuwait City, Nov 17: Kuwait's emir today ordered the national guard and security forces to take all "necessary" measures to maintain security after angry protesters stormed the oil-rich Gulf state's parliament.
 Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah issued the order in a statement by the cabinet which held an emergency meeting a day after opposition-led protesters calling for the premier's resignation over alleged graft broke into the assembly.
 The emir "ordered the interior ministry and the national guards to take all measures and preparations necessary to confront whatever undermines the security of the country and public order," said the statement.
 Forces were ordered to be "provided with all authority necessary to ensure security and the application of the law... to put an end to such shameful provocative acts," it added without specifying what measures would be taken.
 The Kuwaiti ruler also condemned the storming of the parliament as "chaos which endangers the security" of the Gulf emirate.
 Thousands of demonstrators outside the parliament in Kuwait City clashed late yesterday with police who beat them with batons, injuring five people, the opposition and witnesses said.
 They broke open the parliament's gates before dozens of them entered the main chamber, where they sang the national anthem in a country so far spared the "Arab Spring" pro-reform revolts.
 The government said five security personnel and a member of the national guard were also hurt in the clashes.
 The cabinet called on the interior minister to take legal action against those who took part in the storming of parliament, including MPs, its statement said. AFP

Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 IST