Indian national killed, another injured in Muscat mosque shooting in Oman

https://x.com/indemb_muscat/status/1813212451938451933?s=46

The Indian Embassy offered its condolences and all assistance to the families.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said, "Following the shooting incident reported in Muscat city on 15 July, Foreign Ministry of Sultanate of Oman has informed that one Indian national has lost his life and another is injured. Embassy offers its sincere condolences and stands ready to offer all assistance to the families."

At least six people have been killed and 28 others wounded in a shooting at a mosque in Oman in a rare act of violence in the Gulf nation, Al Jazeera reported.

The attack late on Monday 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!"

Four Pakistanis and a policeman were among those killed and at least 28 other people were wounded, Pakistani and Omani authorities said, as per Al Jazeera.

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.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The US Embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting. "US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news, and heed the 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. (ANI)