A Shia Muslim mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman, was the target of a rare shooting incident that killed six people (including a policeman) and injured twenty-eight others.
The police provided no information on the victims, the shooters, or their motivations. Nevertheless, Pakistan claimed that a “terrorist attack” on the Imam Ali Mosque resulted in the deaths of four Pakistanis.
Security officers killed three assailants during Monday night’s incident in the al-Wadi al-Kabir neighborhood.
Three members of the Sunni Muslim terrorist group Islamic State (IS) were involved in the attack, according to the group.
In nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq, IS has, on many occasions, attacked Shia worshipers, processions, and celebrations. The Shia population in Oman is small, and the group has never yet claimed responsibility for an assault there.
There was online jubilation among the group’s adherents after the shooting.
The police have issued a statement expressing their sympathies to the relatives of the victims and stating that an investigation into the tragedy is now underway.
Pakistani ambassador Imran Ali visited injured patients at three local hospitals on Tuesday morning and stated in a video posted on Tuesday morning that they were in relatively safe conditions. He also urged the Pakistanis living in Oman to cooperate with the authorities and stay away from al-Wadi al-Kabir.
According to Mr. Ali, the assailants started firing from a nearby building before moving on to the mosque, where hundreds of worshippers had assembled for the prayer service.
Terrorists had taken the believers hostage until Omani forces later freed them.
The incident occurred on the eve of Ashura, a night when Shia Muslims gather for ceremonies, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Muharram. One of the most critical events commemorated during the festival of Ashura is the death in combat of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in the seventh century.
The Sultanate of Oman has a long history of being considered a haven among Middle Eastern nations. Its prominence in mediation attempts to settle regional disputes and conflicts is a direct result of this.
More than 40% of the 4.6 million people living in the Gulf sultanate are foreign workers.
Data on citizens’ religious affiliations is withheld by the government. But according to US government statistics, 95% of the population is Muslim, with 45% being Sunni, 45% being Ibadi, and 5% being Shia. Five percent are members of other faiths.
