Six people, including four Pakistanis and one Indian, were killed and nearly 30 wounded in a shooting near a Shiite Mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The incident occurred on Monday during Ashura, a significant event for Shiite Muslims.
“The Royal Oman Police have responded to a shooting incident that occurred in the vicinity of a mosque in the Al-Wadi Al-Kabir area,” the police statement read. The three gunmen responsible for the attack were killed, and authorities have concluded the procedures for dealing with the shooting.
Footage verified by AFP showed people fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque amidst gunfire. A voice in the video could be heard saying, “oh God” and “oh Hussein.”
Pakistan’s foreign ministry reported that at least “four Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque.” Additionally, another 30 Pakistanis were wounded. The Indian embassy in Oman stated that one Indian was killed and another wounded in the attack.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his sorrow over the attack, saying, “Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman and offers full assistance in the investigation.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, condemned the shooting as a “divisive” act.
