Pakistan says four of its citizens have been killed in a shooting attack at a Shia mosque in Oman’s capital, Muscat.
A foreign ministry statement said another 30 Pakistanis were also among those injured in what it condemned as a “dastardly terrorist attack” on the Imam Ali Mosque, adding that the "attackers" had been “neutralised”.
A video showed a crowd running for cover inside the mosque’s courtyard as two dozen gunshots are heard. They had gathered there on the eve of the Shia holy day of Ashura.
The Royal Oman Police put out a brief statement overnight saying that officers had responded to a shooting incident near a mosque in the al-Wadi al-Kabir area in which four people were killed.
It did not provide any information about the identities of the assailants and victims, as well as the motive.
"All necessary security measures and procedures have been put in place to deal with the situation. Investigations and evidence collection are ongoing,” it added.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Oman, Imran Ali, said in a video that he had visited some of those injured at three local hospitals and described their conditions as “relatively safe”. He also advised Pakistani residents of Oman to avoid al-Wadi al-Kabir and to co-operate with local authorities.
The National, a newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, cited Mr Ali as saying that at least 50 Pakistani expatriate workers were injured in the attack, with 20 being treated for bullet wounds.
A number of worshippers at the mosque, including women and children were also taken hostage by gunmen and later released by armed police, it reported.
“It was a horror story for them. They went to pray for Muharram and are shocked this happened,” Mr Ali said. “The attack was premeditated on innocent mosque-goers and that is all we know for now.”
“We thank god that the tragedy is much less than what it could have been.”
The shooting happened on the night of the ninth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, when Shia Muslims attend rituals on the eve of Ashura. Ashura is a major commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Some of the worshippers in the courtyard can be heard shouting “O God”, “O Hussein” and “I am here, O Hussein” in the video filmed inside the Imam Ali Mosque as the attack unfolded.
Such violence is rare in Oman, a Gulf state that has long been seen as one of the most stable and secure countries in the Middle East.
This has allowed it to play a leading role in mediation efforts to try to resolve conflicts and disputes in the region.
The sultanate has a population of about 4.6 million, of which more than 40% are foreign workers.
The government does not publish statistics about religious affiliation.
However, the US state department estimates that 95% of the population is Muslim, with 45% Sunni, 45% Ibadi and 5% Shia. Hindus, Buddhists and Christians make up the remaining 5%.
