MUSCAT: The death toll from a shooting near a Shiite mosque in Oman's capital has climbed to nine, police said Tuesday, adding that the three attackers were also killed.
Earlier, Omani police issued a statement that said Monday's shooting had resulted in the death of at least six individuals. It had also resulted in the “martyrdom of one policeman, and the death of the three perpetrators,” with at least 30 other people of other nationalities wounded, Omani police and Pakistani authorities said.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack in a rare operation in one of the most stable countries in the Middle East, the group said in a statement on Telegram on Tuesday.
Describing the incident in the Wadi al-Kabir district of Oman's capital Muscat as a “terrorist” attack, the Pakistani foreign ministry said 30 injured people were in hospital.“We are heartened that the government of Oman has neutralized the attackers,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Oman, Imran Ali, visited some of the wounded in the hospital, the embassy posted on social media platform X.
In a video message posted on X, he urged Pakistanis in Oman to cooperate with local authorities and avoid the area where the shooting occurred.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist attack on Imam Bargah Ali bin Abu Talib in Wadi Kabir in Muscat, Oman that resulted in multiple casualties including two deaths of Pakistani nationals. pic.twitter.com/rcRpsuX0p6
— Pakistan Embassy Oman (@PakinOman) July 16, 2024
One Indian was killed and another was wounded, India’s embassy in Oman said on social media platform X.
Footage verified by AFP shows people fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunshots ring out.
The US embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and canceled all visa appointments Tuesday.
“US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news and heed directions of local authorities,” the embassy wrote on social media platform X.
Statement on the shooting incident in the Al-Wadi Al-Kabir area pic.twitter.com/jUZDhM1dRF
— شرطة عُمان السلطانية (@RoyalOmanPolice) July 16, 2024
Police said “all necessary security measures and procedures have been taken to handle the situation” following the attack.
“The authorities are continuing to gather evidence and conduct investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police added on X.
The area was still cordoned off later on Tuesday, with journalists unable to access the mosque, according to an AFP photographer there.
Oman has a population of over four million people, more than 40 percent of whom are expatriate workers, according to government statistics.
The sultanate has maintained its neutrality in the turbulent region and mediated in disputes, including between the US and Iran.
* With AFP and Reuters
