4 Pakistanis killed, several injured in shooting near Oman mosque

A shooting near a mosque in the Omani capital Muscat has killed at least four Pakistanis and wounded multiple others.

In a brief statement released on Tuesday, the Royal Oman Police said that the incident took place in the vicinity of a mosque in Muscat’s al-Wadi al-Kabir neighborhood.

Officers responded to the incident, the police added, giving an initial toll of four killed and "several others" injured.

Footage on social media shows people fleeing near Imam Ali Mosque as gunshots ring out.

The shooting occurred as Shia Muslims were marking Ashura to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam and the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

"All security measures and procedures have been taken to deal with the situation, and procedures for gathering evidence and investigation are being completed," read the police statement.

Following the shooting, the US Embassy in Muscat issued a security alert and canceled all visa appointments on Tuesday.

Such an attack is rare in Oman, which regularly plays mediating roles in regional conflicts.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said four Pakistanis were killed and Omani authorities “neutralized” the gunmen.

“Four Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque,” it said in a statement.

“Another 30 Pakistanis are under treatment in hospitals,” it added, saying “the government of Oman has neutralized the attackers.”

 Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack.

“My heart goes out to the families of the victims. I have instructed the Pakistan Embassy in Muscat to extend all possible assistance to the injured and visit the hospitals personally. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman & offers full assistance in the investigation,” he tweeted.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar strongly condemned the “cowardly attack and killing of Muslims in the holy month of Muharram.”

Meanwhile, Pakistani Ambassador Imran Ali visited some of the wounded in hospital.

Ali called Pakistani residents to cooperate with Omani authorities and avoid the area around the mosque that was hit.

“I have visited three or four hospitals. By the grace of God, all those injured are safe,” Ali said.

“We are in touch with Omani authorities as well as hospitals. Our officers are on standby for emergency blood donations in the embassy,” he added, saying a hotline has been set up to assist the wounded and their relatives.

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