Six people, including a police officer, were killed and 28 others wounded in a rare shooting near a Shiite mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman, police said.
The three attackers were also killed by security forces during the incident in al-Wadi al-Kabir area on Monday night, according to a statement.
No details were given 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 had been killed.
Video footage showed a crowd taking cover in the mosque’s courtyard as gunshots were heardWorshippers had gathered there on the eve of the Shiite holy day of Ashura.
A police statement expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said an investigation into the circumstances of the incident was underway.
It was also stressed that it is necessary to obtain information from official sources and to ignore unreliable information.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply saddened” by the attack and his “heart goes out to the families of the victims”.
“I have instructed the Pakistani Embassy in Muscat to provide all possible assistance to the injured and personally visit the hospitals,” he wrote on X.
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman and is fully cooperating with the investigation.”
The Pakistani embassy in Muscat has released the names of the four Pakistanis who were killed: Ghulam Abbas, Hasan Abbas, Sayyed Qaisar Abbas and Sulaiman NawazIt was also said that 30 Pakistanis were being treated in hospital.
On Tuesday morning, Pakistani Ambassador Imran Ali said in a video that he had visited a number of injured people in three local hospitals and described their condition as “relatively safe.”
He also advised Pakistani residents in Oman to avoid al-Wadi al-Kabir and cooperate with local authorities.
Mr Ali later told AFP news agency that the attackers initially opened fire from a building next to the mosque, where hundreds of people had gathered for a prayer service.
The worshippers were “taken hostage” by militants and “later freed by Omani forces,” he said.
He also said there was little information about the possible motive for the attack, adding: “Everyone here is keeping their lips tightly sealed.”
The Indian embassy said it had been informed by the Omani foreign ministry that one Indian national had been killed and another injured, without disclosing their names.
The shooting occurred on the night of the ninth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, when Shiite Muslims attend rituals on the eve of Ashura. Ashura is a significant commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in a battle in the seventh century.
In the video recorded inside the Imam Ali Mosque as the attack takes place, some worshippers in the courtyard can be heard shouting: “O God”, “O Hussein” and “I am here, O Hussein”.
There was no immediate claim from any group, but supporters of the Sunni jihadist group Islamic State (IS) celebrated the shooting on social media.
IS has repeatedly attacked Shia ceremonies, processions and worshippers in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. But it has never claimed an attack in Oman before.
The Gulf state has long been seen as one of the most stable and secure countries in the Middle East, allowing it to play a leading role in mediation efforts to resolve conflicts and disputes in the region.
The Sultanate has a population of approximately 4.6 million people, of which more than 40% are foreign workers.
The government does not publish statistics on religious beliefs.
However, the U.S. State Department estimates that 95% of the population is Muslim, with 45% Sunni, 45% Ibadis, and 5% Shiites. Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians make up the remaining 5%.
