Six people, including a policeman, have been killed and 28 others injured in a rare shooting attack near a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman’s capital, Muscat, police say.
The three attackers were also killed by security forces during the incident in the al-Wadi al-Kabir area on Monday night, according to a statement.
Police gave no details about the identities of the victims and gunmen, or the motive. But Pakistan said four Pakistanis were among those killed in a “terrorist attack” on the Imam Ali Mosque. India also said one of its citizens was killed.
The Sunni Muslim jihadist group Islamic State (IS) says three of its members were involved in the attack.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Six people, including a policeman, have been killed and 28 others injured in a rare shooting attack near a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman’s capital, Muscat, police say.The three attackers were also killed by security forces during the incident in the al-Wadi al-Kabir area on Monday night, according to a statement.Police gave no details about the identities of the victims and gunmen, or the motive.
But it has never before claimed an attack in Oman, where the Shia are a minority.Video showed a crowd running for cover inside the mosque’s courtyard as gunshots were heard.
Worshippers had gathered there on the eve of the Shia holy day of Ashura.The police statement expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said an investigation into the circumstances of the incident was under way.It also emphasised “the necessity of obtaining information from official sources and disregarding unreliable information”.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply saddened” by the attack and that his heart went “out to the families of the victims”.
“I have instructed the Pakistan embassy in Muscat to extend all possible assistance to the injured and visit the hospitals personally,” he wrote on X.
He also advised Pakistani residents of Oman to avoid al-Wadi al-Kabir and to co-operate with local authorities.Mr Ali later told AFP news agency that the attackers had initially opened fire from a building next to the mosque, where hundreds of people had gathered for a prayer service.The worshippers were held “hostage” by militants before “they were later freed by Omani forces”, he said.India’s embassy said it had been informed by the Omani foreign ministry that one Indian national had been killed and another injured, without identifying them.The shooting happened on the night of the ninth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, when Shia Muslims attend rituals on the eve of Ashura.
This has allowed it to play a leading role in mediation efforts to try to resolve conflicts and disputes in the region.The Gulf sultanate has a population of about 4.6 million, of which more than 40% are foreign workers.The government does not publish statistics about religious affiliation.However, the US state department estimates that 95% of the population is Muslim, with 45% Sunni, 45% Ibadi and 5% Shia.
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