May 9, 2002	Thursday	Safar 25, 1423

KUWAIT CITY, May 8: Six Sri Lankan embassy staff including a diplomat were injured on Tuesday, when a group of Kuwaitis went on a rampage over a minor dispute at embassy premises in Kuwait.

According to the reports, a Kuwaiti citizen accompanied his mother to the Sri Lankan embassy for some consular work. The Kuwaiti man allegedly kicked a Sri Lankan national who was seated, forcing him to make way for his mother to be seated as there are no separate seating arrangements for men and women at the embassy premises.

In a bid to defuse the tension the embassy’s Attache- Administration Mahalingan came rushing to the scene, but was allegedly assaulted.

The security guards at the embassy and other staff forced the Kuwaiti man to leave the embassy but they later returned with other three men, armed with knives and swords. The trio assaulted the security guards and stabbed six persons including the diplomat Mahalingan.

Police arrested the three men and seized their weapons. The injured were taken to the nearby hospital.