The US embassy in Oman has issued a warning to American citizens to steer clear of the area where the shooting took place. The incident is a rare occurrence in the country, among the most stable in the region.
At least six people were killed and scores were injured in a shooting near a Shiite mosque in Oman’s capital Muscat, police said on Tuesday.
“The Royal Oman Police have responded to a shooting incident that occurred in the vicinity of a mosque in the Al-Wadi Al-Kabir area,” police said in a statement.
Omani police said later in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the three perpetrators of the shooting were killed and one policeman also died.
The statement said that “28 people of various nationalities” were injured in the shooting.
People were seen running around near Imam Ali Mosque amid sounds of gunshots in videos verified by the French AFP news agency. In one video, a person can be heard saying “oh God” and repeating “oh Hussein,” referring to the imam who Shiite Muslims view as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad.
Shiites make up a minority of the population in Oman, which is predominantly inhabited by Ibadi and Sunni Muslims. The world’s Shiites are commemorating the major festival of Ashura this week.
Following the shooting, the US Embassy in Oman warned American citizens to “stay away from the area.”
“US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news and heed directions of local authorities,” .
Oman: 6 killed after shooting near mosque, police say
