Shooting at mosque in Oman leaves six dead and dozens injured

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — At least six people were killed and others injured in a gun attack on a mosque in Oman late Monday night, the country’s state news agency reported on Tuesday. The country’s government said two Pakistanis were among the dead.

The Royal Oman Police said in a statement posted online that the shooting took place in the Wadi Kabir neighborhood of Muscat, the capital of Oman.

According to the Omani news agency, three gunmen were killed by police after they opened fire on the mosque, killing five civilians and one of the policemen. The agency said 28 other people of various nationalities, including other first responders, were injured in the attack.

The police did not provide any information about the suspected motive, nor whether the three shooters belonged to a criminal or terrorist organization.

The Pakistani embassy in Muscat confirmed that two Pakistani citizens were among those killed in the shooting.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack on Imam Bargah Ali bin Abu Talib in Wadi Kabir in Muscat, Oman, which resulted in numerous casualties, including the death of two Pakistanis,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Oman is located on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. Acts of violence of this kind are rare in the Sultanate.

The U.S. Embassy in Oman has issued a warning to all Americans to stay away from the area and canceled all visa appointments at the embassy for Tuesday.