Wadi Al-Kabir, Oman: At least six dead in shooting near mosque

CNN
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According to the Royal Oman Police, at least six people were killed in a shooting near a mosque in the Wadi Al-Kabir region of Oman.

Among those killed in the attack on Monday evening was at least one police officer and more than two dozen people of various nationalities were injured, including four first responders from Oman, police said.

The attack took place at the Imam Ali Mosque, according to a video obtained by Reuters and geolocated by CNN. The attack took place at the Shiite mosque during Ashura, the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, which has special significance for Shiite Muslims.

Three perpetrators were identified and killed in the exchange of blows, police said.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that at least four Pakistanis were among the dead, citing Omani authorities. Another 30 Pakistanis were injured and are currently being treated in hospital, the ministry added.

The ministry condemned the incident and called it a “heinous terrorist attack.”

“We are encouraged that the government of Oman has neutralized the attackers,” the ministry said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posted on X on Tuesday that he was “deeply saddened” by what he considered a terrorist attack.

“My deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims. I have instructed the Pakistani embassy in Muscat to provide all possible assistance to the injured and to personally visit the hospitals,” he wrote.

One Indian citizen was killed and another injured, the Indian embassy in Oman’s capital Muscat said in a post on Tuesday.

The US Embassy in Muscat has issued a security alert for US citizens, advising them to “remain vigilant, monitor local news and follow instructions from local authorities.”

It was said that the visa appointments scheduled for Tuesday would be cancelled for security reasons.

The Royal Oman Police said military and security measures had been completed and investigations were ongoing.