Beirut, Jul. 16, (dpa/GNA) – The death toll from a shooting near a Shiite mosque in Oman’s capital on Tuesday has risen from four to six and now includes a policeman, the Omani State-run news agency reported.
The agency, citing a police statement, said three attackers were also killed.
There were 28 people from various nationalities who were injured in the attack, the police said.
“The Royal Oman Police and the military and security services have completed the procedures for dealing with the shooting incident that occurred in the Wadi Al Kabir area in the Muscat Governorate,” the police statement said.
The attack occurred while Muslim Shiites were carrying out a religious ritual.
Two Pakistanis were among the fatalities, the Pakistani embassy in the country said.
Oman, which is located on the Arabian Peninsula, is considered one of the safest countries in the Arab world and is popular with foreign tourists.
In a video purporting to show the incident, dozens of people can be seen fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque as the sound of repeated gunfire could be heard. It remained unclear whether one or more gunmen opened fire.
“The authorities are continuing to gather evidence and conduct investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police said on X.
Shiite Muslims across the Middle East are observing the 10-day Ashura ceremony, in which they commemorate the seventh-century battlefield martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
GNA