Tue 16 July 2024:
Nine people were killed, including three attackers, in an assault on a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman late on Monday, authorities said, in a rare breach of security in one of the most stable countries in the Middle East, Reuters reports.
Four Pakistani nationals and a policeman were among those killed in the gun attack, according to Pakistani and Omani officials. Authorities said 28 people of various nationalities were wounded, including security personnel.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the attack took place in the Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque. A local source said it was also known as Imam Ali Mosque, a Shia place of worship in Sunni-dominated Oman.
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Describing the incident in the Wadi Al-Kabir district of Oman’s capital, Muscat, as a “terrorist” attack, the Pakistani Ministry said 30 injured people were in hospital.
The attack came as Shia Muslims observed Ashura, an annual period of mourning to commemorate the 7th century death of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. The observation of Ashura has sometimes triggered sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims in some countries, though not typically in Oman.
Police have not said whether they have identified a motive or if they had made any arrests related to the attack.
“We are heartened that the government of Oman has neutralised the attackers,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Oman visited victims of the attack in hospital, according to video the embassy posted on X.
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The US embassy in Muscat said it was following reports of the incident.
“US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news and heed directions of local authorities,” it said in a statement.
Oman has maintained its neutrality in the turbulent region and mediated in disputes, including between the United States and Iran..
-MEMO
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