Pakistan mourns nationals killed in mosque attack in Oman, bodies repatriated

This week, Pakistan saw the sad return of four nationals killed in a devastating attack on a Shiite mosque in Oman, officials confirmed on Friday. The repatriation was carried out by Pakistan International Airlines on the instructions of the government. The bodies arrived in Islamabad and Lahore where grieving families awaited them.

Abdullah Hafeez, a spokesman for the airline, confirmed that the bodies were handed over to the victims’ relatives for burial. Funerals were then held in the victims’ hometowns, with hundreds of mourners coming to pay their last respects.

The attack occurred on Monday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, where armed men stormed the mosque during prayers on the eve of Ashura – a major Shiite mourning festival commemorating the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which represents a rare and violent breach of peace in Oman. Omani police confirmed that the attackers, all brothers and Omani citizens, were neutralized after the incident.