Shiite mosque

The Kuwait News Agency reported that those facing trial include seven Kuwaitis and 13 "illegal residents" — a reference to Kuwait's "bidoon" community that is made up largely of desert nomads considered stateless by the government. 

Also facing trial are five Saudis, three Pakistanis and a fugitive whose nationality is not yet known.

They face a range of charges such as illegally possessing explosives, incitement to violence and joining an extremist group.

An upstart local affiliate of the Islamic State group, calling itself the Najd Province, claimed responsibility for the attack that was carried out by a suicide bomber during midday Friday prayers inside one of Kuwait's oldest Shiite mosques.

The IS group views Shiites as heretics and refers to them derogatively as "rejectionists" among other slurs.

A posting on a Twitter account known to belong to the Islamic State group claims the explosion was work of a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt.

The attack was claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State group calling itself the Najd Province, the same group that claimed responsibility for a pair of attacks on two Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

Mohammed al-Faili, 32, told The Associated Press that his 70 year-old father was killed in what appeared to be a bombing attack.