Four Pakistanis and two others were killed while multiple others were wounded in a shooting near a Shia mosque in the Omani capital Muscat, officials said on Tuesday, a rare attack in the otherwise stable Gulf sultanate.
ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that three of its “suicide attackers” fired on worshippers at the mosque on Monday evening and exchanged gunfire with Omani security forces until morning.
Police said the overall death toll climbed to six today, adding that the three attackers were also killed.
Monday’s shooting “resulted in the death of five individuals, the martyrdom of one policeman, and the death of the three perpetrators”, with at least 28 other people wounded, Omani police said in a statement.
Oman’s overwhelmingly Muslim population comprises a small minority of Shias. Monday’s mosque attack has yet to be claimed.
“The Royal Oman Police have responded to a shooting incident that occurred in the vicinity of a mosque in the Al-Wadi Al-Kabir area” of the capital, police said in a statement.
The force gave an initial toll of four killed and “several” wounded.
The Foreign Office said four Pakistanis were killed and Omani authorities “neutralised” the gunmen.
“Four Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque,” it said in a statement.
“Another 30 Pakistanis are under treatment in hospitals,” it added, saying “the government of Oman has neutralised the attackers.”
Pakistani Ambassador Imran Ali visited some of the wounded in hospital, the embassy posted on social media platform X.
The embassy also released the names of those killed in the attack.
Ali told Abu Dhabi-based news outlet The National that at least 50 Pakistani expatriate workers were injured.
In a video message, Ali urged Pakistani residents to cooperate with Omani authorities and avoid the area around the mosque that was hit.
“I have visited three or four hospitals. By the grace of God, all those injured are safe,” Ali said.
“We are in touch with Omani authorities as well as hospitals. Our officers are on standby for emergency blood donations in the embassy,” he added, saying a hotline has been set up to assist the wounded and their relatives.
Speaking to AFP, Ali said the mosque was mostly frequented by south Asian expatriates. Oman is home to at least 400,000 Pakistanis, he said.
The ambassador said the attack began with gunfire from a building adjacent to the mosque as hundreds of people gathered for prayers.
The worshippers were held “hostage” by militants before “they were later freed by Omani forces”, Ali told AFP.
He said there was little information on the perpetrators of the attack or their possible motive.“Everyone is being tight-lipped about this,” he said, adding that the attack created a “difficult ituation”.
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the attack and extended his condolences to the victims and their families.
“I have instructed the Pakistan Embassy in Muscat to extend all possible assistance to the injured and visit the hospitals personally. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman & offers full assistance in the investigation,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar offered his condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the families of the four individuals who were killed in the attack
“Strongly condemn this cowardly attack and killing of Muslims in the holy month of Muharram,” FM Dar said in a post on X.
The US embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and cancelled all visa appointments on Tuesday.
“US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news and heed directions of local authorities,” the embassy posted on X.
Footage verified by AFP showed people fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunshots ring out.A voice can be heard saying “Oh God” and repeating “Oh Hussein”.
Muharram is a month of mourning, observed in particular by Shia Muslims worldwide. It commemorates the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, where amongst many, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Imam Husain, was martyred and other family members were martyred or subjected to humiliation.
Police said “all necessary security measures and procedures have been taken to handle the situation” following the attack.
“The authorities are continuing to gather evidence and conduct investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police added on X.
The area was cordoned off on Tuesday, with journalists unable to access the mosque, an AFP photographer reported.
Oman has a population of over four million, more than 40 per cent of whom are expatriate workers, most of them from South Asia, according to government figures.
The sultanate has repeatedly played the role of mediator in regional conflicts, especially the war in Yemen between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government propped up by Saudi Arabia.
While several attacks on Shia mosques have roiled the Gulf in recent years, Tuesday’s attack is a first for Oman.
A 2015 suicide attack on a Shia mosque in Kuwait killed at least 27 worshippers and wounded more than 200. It was claimed by the banned militant Islamic State (IS) group.
That same year, Saudi Arabia saw two attacks on Shia mosques in the space of a week. The twin assaults killed at least 25 people and were again claimed by IS, which regards Shia Muslims as heretics.
In 2005, a former teacher opened fire inside a government building in Muscat, killing two people and wounding several others, before shooting himself..
A shooting near a mosque in Oman killed at least four people and wounded several others in a rare act of violence in the Gulf nation.The attack early on Tuesday took place in Wadi al-Kabir, a district east of the capital city, Muscat, during a major religious event for Shia Muslims
Video from the scene shows people fleeing near the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunfire rings out followed by a voice saying, “Oh God!”
Omani police said they’re taking “all necessary security measures and procedures … to handle the situation”. They gave an initial casualty toll of four killed and “several” injured.
“The authorities are continuing to gather evidence and conduct investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police said on social media platform X.
No motive or potential suspects were identified in the attack. A state of emergency was declared in the area.
It appears some of the victims were Pakistani nationals as Pakistan’s ambassador “visited three hospitals and met with the wounded”, an embassy statement said, adding, “all Pakistanis residing in Oman are requested to cooperate with the authorities”.
The US Embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and cancelled all visa appointments on Tuesday.
“US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news, and heed directions of local authorities,” the embassy wrote on X.
Such an attack is rare in Oman, a frequent regional mediator with a low crime rate. It comes during the Muslim day of Ashura when Shia Muslims commemorate the seventh-century battlefield martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
Many Shia mark Ashura by performing a pilgrimage to Imam Hussein’s shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala. Sunni Muslims commemorate the day through fasting.
At least six people have been killed and 30 others wounded in a shooting at a mosque in Oman that has been claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) group.
The attack late on Monday marked a rare act of violence in the Gulf state and took place in Wadi Kabir, a district east of the capital city of Muscat, during a major religious event for Shia Muslims.
Video from the scene shows people fleeing near the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunfire rings out followed by a voice saying, “Oh God!”
Four Pakistani nationals and a policeman were among those killed and at least 30 other people were wounded, according to Omani and Pakistani authorities.
ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that three of its “suicide attackers” fired on worshippers at the mosque on Monday evening and exchanged gunfire with Omani security forces until morning.
The group also published what it said was a video of the attack on its Telegram site.
Omani police said in a statement on Tuesday that three gunmen behind the attack were killed and police officers have “concluded the procedures for dealing with the shooting”, it said.
The police did not say whether they had identified a motive for the attack or made any arrests. They also have not released the identity of the attackers.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist attack”. It added that 30 survivors were being treated in hospitals.
