SIX people including four Pakistanis, one Indian were killed and nearly 30 wounded in a shooting near a Shiite mosque in the Omani capital Muscat, officials said Tuesday (16), a rare attack in the otherwise stable Gulf sultanate.
Monday's (15) mosque attack, which has yet to be claimed, came as Shiites this week mark Ashura, an annual day of mourning that commemorates the seventh-century death in battle of Imam Hussein, regarded by the sect as the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed.
"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" of the capital, a police statement said.
The three gunmen behind the attack were killed and police officers have "concluded the procedures for dealing with the shooting," it added.
The force gave a toll of six killed, including a police officer. It said 28 people "from various nationalities" were wounded, including rescuers and paramedics.
The foreign ministry in Islamabad said at least "four Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque." Another 30 Pakistanis were wounded, it added.
One Indian was killed and another was wounded, India's embassy in Oman said on social media platform X.
Footage verified by AFP shows people fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunshots ring out.
A voice can be heard saying "oh God" and repeating "oh Hussein".
Speaking to AFP, Pakistan's ambassador to Oman Imran Ali said the Shiite mosque was mostly frequented by south Asian expatriates. Oman is home to at least 400,000 Pakistanis, he said.
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was "deeply saddened by the terrorist attack".
In a statement on X, he said: "Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman and offers full assistance in the investigation."
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, condemned the shooting as a "divisive" act.
Pakistan's ambassador said the attack started with gunfire from a building adjacent to the mosque as hundreds of people gathered for prayers.
The worshippers were held "hostage" by militants before "they were later freed by Omani forces", Ali said.
He said there was little information on the perpetrators or their possible motive.
"Everyone is being tight-lipped about this," he said, adding that the attack created a "difficult situation".
Earlier on Tuesday, Ali toured hospitals that were treating the wounded.
In a video message on X, he urged Pakistanis in Oman to cooperate with the authorities and avoid the area around the mosque.
"Our officers are on standby for emergency blood donations in the embassy," he said, adding that a hotline has been set up to assist the wounded and their relatives.
The American embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and cancelled all visa appointments for Tuesday.
"US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news and heed directions of local authorities," it posted on X.
Investigations underway
Police said "all necessary security measures and procedures have been taken to handle the situation" following the attack.
"The authorities are continuing to gather evidence and conduct investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident," police added on X.
The area remained cordoned off on Tuesday, with journalists unable to access the mosque, an AFP photographer reported.
Oman has a population of more than four million, of whom upwards of 40 per cent are expat workers, mostly from south Asia, according to government figures.
Shiites make up a small minority of Oman's overwhelmingly Muslim population. Most Omanis follow the Sunni or Ibadi branches of the faith.
Several attacks on Shiite mosques have roiled the Gulf in recent years, but this was the first in Oman.
A 2015 suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in Kuwait killed at least 27 worshippers and wounded more than 200. It was claimed by the Sunni extremist daesh (Islamic State group).
The same year, Saudi Arabia saw two attacks on Shiite mosques in the space of a week, with at least 25 people killed. The attacks were again claimed by daesh, which regards Shiites as heretics.
In 2005, a former teacher opened fire inside a government building in Muscat, killing two people and wounding several others, before shooting himself.
(AFP)
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)