• Over 30 injured in shooting at imambargah in Al Wadi Al Kabir area; three attackers killed
• IS claims responsibility
• Pakistani envoy says motive, identity of perpetrators not known
• President, PM ‘saddened’; Islamabad offers Oman full assistance in investigation

ISLAMABAD: Four Pakistani nationals were among six people shot dead in a terrorist attack at Imambargah Ali ibn Abi Talib near Muscat — the capital of Oman — as mourners gathered to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussain on the eve of Muharram 9 in the Gulf state.

According to Reuters, the so-called Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel, on Tuesday night.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Foreign Office said that apart from the four victims, at least 30 Pakistanis were also wounded in the late-night shooting and moved to various hospitals for treatment.

Three attackers, it said, were “neutralised” by the Omani forces. Acc­o­r­ding to the FO, the emb­assy identified the slain mourners as Ghu­lam Abbas, Hassan Abbas, Syed Qaisar Abbas, and Sulaiman Nawaz. It added that the embassy was in touch with Omani authorities for the repatriation of the mortal remains of the four men.

Imran Ali, the Pakis­tani envoy in Oman, how­ever, told The Natio­nal — an Abu Dhabi-based publication — that at least 50 Pakistani expatriates were injured in the attack. The publication also cited the Indian embassy in Muscat saying that one Indian was among the dead and another injured in the attack.

Footage verified by the AFP news agency showed people fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunshots rang out. A voice in the video can be heard saying “Oh God” and repeating “Oh Hussain”, it reported.

The Omani police initially confirmed the death of four people, but on Tuesday the death toll was raised to six, including a policeman.

Monday’s shooting “resulted in the death of five individuals, the martyrdom of one policeman, and the death of the three perpetrators”, with at least 28 other people wounded, Omani police said in a statement.

“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, the police said in a statement.

It may be noted that while several attacks on Shia mosques have roiled the Gulf in recent years, the attack was the first for Oman — a stable Gulf sultanate.

Pakistan’s envoy to Oman, according to a statement posted by the embassy on social media platform X, visited the wounded nationals at the hospitals. He also issued a video message urging the Pakistani nat­ionals to avoid the vicinity of the imambargah.

The envoy told AFP that Oman was home to at least 400,000 Pakistanis and the imambargah was mostly frequented by South Asian expatriates. The ambassador said the attack began with gunfire from a building adjacent to the imambargah as hundreds of people gathered on the premises for prayers.

The worshippers were held “hostage” by militants before “they were later freed by Omani forces”, Mr Ali told AFP. He said there was little information on the perpetrators of the attack or their possible motive. “Everyone is being tight-lipped about this,” he said, adding that the attack created a “difficult situation”.

Investigation underway

Omani 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,” they added on ‘X’.

Oman has a population of over four million, more than 40 per cent of whom are expatriate workers, most of them from South Asia, according to government figures.

The sultanate has repeatedly played the role of mediator in regional conflicts, especially the war in Yemen between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government propped up by Saudi Arabia.

A 2015 suicide attack on a Shia mosque in Kuwait killed at least 27 worshippers and wounded more than 200. It was claimed by the banned militant Islamic State (IS) group. That same year, Saudi Arabia saw two attacks on Shia mosques in the space of a week.

The twin assaults killed at least 25 people and were again claimed by IS, which regards Shia Muslims as ‘heretics’.

‘Deeply saddened’

The shooting was condemned by Pakistan, Oman, and the United States in separate statements.

President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the attack and extended his condolences to the victims and their families. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “deeply saddened” by the attack.

“I have instructed the Pakistan Embassy in Muscat to extend all possible assistance to the injured and visit the hospitals personally. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Sultanate of Oman and offers full assistance in the investigation,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar offered his condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the families of the four individuals who were killed in the attack.

“My heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of all who lost their lives in the brutal attack last night, including one gallant officer of the Royal Oman Police, and wishing a speedy recovery to those injured”, Foreign Minister of Oman Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi posted on X.

In light of the attack, the US embassy in Muscat issued a security alert and cancelled all visa appointments on Tuesday. “US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news and heed directions of local authorities,” the embassy posted on X.

With additional input from AFP

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024