Kuwait says its news agency's Twitter account was hacked, posted false story on US troops withdrawing

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The Kuwait government said a tweet from the account of its state-run news agency claiming American troops were set to leave the gulf nation in three days was bogus.

Tareq Al-Mizrem, a government spokesperson, said Wednesday that the fake tweet was posted after “malware… infested Kuwait News Agency’s social media account."

SOME US TROOPS TRANSPORTED FROM IRAQ TO KUWAIT ABOARD CANADIAN AIRCRAFT, REPORT SAYS

In this photo provided by U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Marines prepare to deploy from Kuwait on Dec. 31. (AP/U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt. Robert G. Gavaldon)

The message said Kuwait’s defense minister received a letter from the commander of an American military base there “declaring imminent withdrawal of all U.S. military forces in three days,” according to Reuters.

“Receiving such [a] letter from Camp Arifjan was unexpected and we are communicating with U.S. Department of Defense for more details and information,” the fake tweet had quoted the minister as saying.

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The fake tweet came amid escalating tensions in the region following a missile attack by Iran that struck two Iraqi military bases that house American troops on Tuesday. U.S. and Iraqi officials said there were no casualties among their forces.

More than 13,000 troops are stationed in Kuwait, according to the Associated Press, with more now en route as tensions with Iran are escalating.