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.
𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐭, 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐧
According to the latest information received from the Omani authorities, four Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist…
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 16, 2024
Ashura commemoration
Pakistan’s ambassador to Oman, Imran Ali, visited hospitals and met the wounded, an embassy statement said, adding, “All Pakistanis residing in Oman are requested to cooperate with the authorities.”
Ali described the attack as “an unprecedented event … the likes of it we have not seen in Oman’s history”. He said most of the victims there were being treated for gunshot wounds while others had suffered injuries fleeing the attack, including being crushed in a stampede.
The US Embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting. “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, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
Many Shia Muslims mark Ashura by performing a pilgrimage to Imam Hussein’s shrine in the Iraqi city of Karbala.
The ISIL attack in Oman follows others in Russia and Iran. In March, the group said it was behind an attack that killed more than 140 people at a concert hall near Moscow, and in January it claimed responsibility for two explosions in Kerman that killed nearly 100.
Such high-profile attacks have stoked fears of a comeback for the group.
At the height of its power in the early 2010s, ISIL declared a so-called “caliphate” over a wide area of Syria and Iraq, imposing death and torture on detractors, and inspiring attacks in dozens of cities around the world.
The group’s control collapsed after a sustained military campaign by a US-led coalition.
