Four dead in shooting at mosque in Oman

A gunman opened fire on a large crowd near a mosque in Oman, killing at least four people and injuring “several” others, the country’s police said on Tuesday.

Around 700 people were reportedly gathered outside the Shiite mosque in the al-Wadi al-Kabir district of the Omani capital Muscat when it was attacked late Monday evening, according to social media posts citing locals.

The gunman also reportedly fired an assault rifle at the crowd.

The statement from the Royal Omani Police confirmed that authorities had responded to the incident and that an investigation was ongoing, but did not provide a motive or details about the suspects who might be behind the attack.

“All security measures have been taken to control the situation and procedures to secure evidence are being carried out as part of the investigation,” the police statement said.

The US Embassy in Oman also issued a statement warning all citizens to stay away from the area for the time being.

Such attacks are rare in Oman, which lies on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. The Sultanate is widely considered one of the safest countries in the region and has a large Western expat community.

Only five percent of Oman’s population are Shiites.