1973 Samita border skirmish

1973 Samita Border Skirmish
Part of Iraq–Kuwait relations

Map of Kuwait showing Warbah Island and Bubiyan Island
Date20 March - 9 April, 1973
(20 days)
Location
Al-Samita outpost, Kuwait
Result See Aftermath section
Belligerents
Kuwait Iraq
Commanders and leaders
Sabah III
Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah 
Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
Units involved
Kuwait National Guard Iraqi Armed Forces
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
12 killed 2 killed

Following the deterring effect of Operation Vantage and a coup in Iraq, Kuwait and Iraq signed a recognition draft in 1963, however the aggrement, never ratified, remained non-binding and was eventually dismissed by the revolutionary council.[1] Both countries had ongoing border disputes throughout most of the 1960s, although often restrained within the climate of Arab solidarity.

Since 1967 and during 1973, despite the unstable history between the Kuwaiti and the leadership of Iraq back then, the Kuwaiti military acted in alliance with the Iraqi military during the Six-Day War and participated with a token force during the 1973 October War of the same year.

  1. ^ Khadduri, Majid (2001). War in the Gulf, 1990-91. Oxford University Press. pp. 71–74. ISBN 9780199923861.