On 15 July 2024, six people, including a policeman, were killed and 28 others were injured in a

mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...

near a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman's capital, Muscat. The

Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

and Gim claimed responsibility for the attack.

Background

Oman is predominantly Muslim, with most following the

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

and

Ibadi Ibadism (, ) is a school of Islam concentrated in Oman established from within the Kharijites. The followers of the Ibadi sect are known as the Ibadis or, as they call themselves, The People of Truth and Integrity (). Ibadism emerged around 6 ...

sects, and Shi'ism accounting for about 5% of the country's population. The Islamic State has had a history of anti-Shia sentiment, including considerable violence against Shi'ites during the Syrian Civil War and the 2013–2017 conflict between Iraq and the Islamic State. However, they had never claimed responsibility for an attack in Oman prior to the shooting.

Attack

The shooting occurred as

Shi'ite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood to ...

worshippers were marking the eve of

Ashura Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites ...

at the Imam Ali mosque frequently attended by South Asian expatriates in the Wadi Kabir area of

Muscat Muscat (, ) is the capital and most populous city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the population of the Muscat Governorate in 2022 was 1.72 million. ...

. Gunmen reportedly opened fire from a building near the mosque before entering the facility itself in the evening and opening fire, with some worshippers taken hostage before being rescued by security forces. A witness told the ''Times of Oman'' that the attack lasted for about an hour and a half, while the Pakistani ambassador said he had taken calls from Pakistani worshippers who were in the mosque providing information that was used by Omani security forces in their response. The three attackers were killed by the security forces. Six other people died in the attack, including a

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

. Pakistan said four of its nationals were killed in the attack, while the local police reported that 28 others were injured. The Indian embassy in Oman said that one Indian national was killed and another injured in the attack. A state of emergency was declared in Wadi Kabir.

Aftermath

The remains of the Pakistani fatalities were repatriated by the Pakistani government on 19 July aboard

Pakistan International Airlines Pakistan International Airlines, commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier of Pakistan. With its primary hub at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the airline also operates from its secondary hubs at Allama Iqbal International Airport ...

flights towards

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

and

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

for burial in their places of origin.

Perpetrators

The Islamic State subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack and published a picture of the gunmen raising the group's flag on its

Amaq News Agency Amaq News Agency () is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq is often the "first point of publication for claims of responsibility" for terrorist attacks in Western countries by the Islamic State. In March 2019, Amaq News Agency w ...

. The gunmen were all citizens of Oman, and were brothers, according to the police.

Reactions

Pakistani Prime Minister

Shehbaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif (born 23 September 1951) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who has served as the 20th Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan since March 2024, having previously been in the role between Ap ...

expressed sadness over the attack and offered his government's help in the investigation. The Pakistani embassy in Oman called on all its nationals in the country to cooperate with Omani authorities. The US embassy in Oman issued a security alert and cancelled all visa appointments scheduled on 16 July. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated it stood "in solidarity with Oman against such attempts to sow discord." The UAE expressed its "strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence.” Bahrain's foreign ministry said that the shooting was a "heinous attack that goes against all religious and moral values and aims to destabilise the security and stability of Oman". Saudi Arabia praised the efficiency of the Omani reaction to the shooting. The secretary general of the

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

(GCC), Jasem Al Budaiwi, affirmed the support of the council for Oman, which is a member state. News outlets have noted the rarity of the attack in Oman, a relatively stable Gulf nation.

References

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