Dubai, United Arab Emirates — A shooting at a mosque in Oman has left at least six people dead and several others injured, the country’s official news agency reported Tuesday. Two Pakistanis were among the dead, according to their country’s government.
The Royal Oman Police said in a statement posted online that the shooting took place in the Wadi Kabir area of Muscat, the Omani capital.
According to the Omani News Agency, three gunmen were killed by police officers after they opened fire on the mosque, killing five civilians and one of the police officers who had intervened. The agency said that 28 other people, of different nationalities, including other rescuers, were injured in the attack.
Police have not provided any information on the alleged motive or whether the three gunmen belong to any criminal or terrorist group.
The Pakistani embassy in Muscat confirmed that two Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the shooting.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack on Imam Bargah Ali bin Abu Talib in Wadi Kabir in Muscat, Oman, which resulted in numerous casualties, including the death of two Pakistanis,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Oman is located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. Such violence is rare in the sultanate.
The U.S. Embassy in Oman issued a warning to Americans to “stay away from the area” and canceled all visa appointments for Tuesday at the embassy.
