Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly shooting in Shiite mosque in Oman

MUSCAT: The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for an attack on the Shiite Muslim mosque in Oman’s capital of Muscat which left at least nine people dead, including three terrorists.

Six people including four Pakistanis, one Indian, and an Omani official were killed in a shooting incident on Monday evening at the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al-Kabir neighborhood of Oman’s capital Muscat, a rare security breach in one of the most peaceful countries in the Middle East.

The Oman police said 28 people of various nationalities were wounded, including security personnel.

Islamic State, the Sunni Muslim-dominated militant group said, three of its suicide attackers were behind the shootings that targeted “Shiites practicing their annual rituals” on the occasion of the holy mourning period of Ashura.

The group’s propaganda channel Aamaq said on its Telegram channels that IS fighters “opened fire with machine guns on Shiite” worshippers, before clashing with Omani security forces.

The group also published what it said was a video of the attack on its Telegram site.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said, “Four Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in Wadi Kabeer area in Muscat, Oman.”

“According to the latest information received from the Omani authorities, four Pakistanis were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in Wadi Kabeer area in Muscat, Oman,” the FO said in a post on X.