ISIS, a global terrorist organization Oman capital of Muscat I have accepted responsibility for the attack on Imam Bargah Ali bin Abu Talib in Wadi Kabir area in which four Pakistanis were killed.
30 Pakistani citizens were also injured in the same attack and the Pakistani Foreign Office in a statement condemned the incident as a ‘cowardly terrorist attack’.
According to the British news agency Reuters, the dead included four Pakistanis, one Indian, one local person and three attackers.
Oman’s Royal Police have not yet provided details on the motive for the attack or the arrests.
According to the Foreign Office, the staff of the Pakistani embassy is in contact with local authorities to identify the bodies of its citizens and repatriate them.
Pakistan has offered all possible assistance to the Omani authorities to investigate this ‘heinous crime’ in the month of Muharram and bring those responsible to justice.
According to ISIS, three of its fighters took part in the attack that targeted them Shia There were those who were engaged in their annual mourning on the occasion of Ashura.
Amaq, the propaganda channel of Daesh, has said on its Telegram channel that Daesh fighters fired machine guns at the Shiites before clashing with the Omani forces.
Imran Ali, Pakistan’s ambassador to Oman, has set up a helpline and shared the numbers to inform and help the families and loved ones of those injured in the incident.
Talking to the news agency AFP, Imran Ali, the Pakistani ambassador posted in Oman, said that many South Asians used to go to worship in the Shia mosque. Four lakh Pakistani citizens are living in Oman.
‘terrorist attack’
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had stated on Tuesday that 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 cooperation in the investigation.’
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasir Kanani condemned the firing, calling it a ‘divisive’ act.
The Pakistani ambassador said the attack began with gunfire from a building adjacent to the mosque as hundreds of people gathered for prayers.
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Imran Ali told AFP that the worshipers were held ‘hostage’ by the militants who were later freed by Omani forces.
Little is known regarding the perpetrators or their possible motives, he said.
He said that ‘everyone is keeping quiet regarding it’ and that the attack has created a ‘difficult situation’.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Pakistani ambassador visited the hospitals where the injured were being treated.
The US embassy in Muscat issued a security alert following the shooting and canceled all visa appointments for Tuesday.
The US Embassy in Oman wrote in its post on X that ‘US citizens should remain vigilant, monitor local news and follow the instructions of local authorities.’
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Oman’s Royal Police said following the attack, ‘all necessary security measures and procedures have been taken to deal with the situation.’
“Authorities are continuing to investigate to gather evidence and uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police added on X.
According to government figures, Oman has a population of more than 4 million, of which more than 40 percent are foreign workers, most of them from South Asia.
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2024-07-17 08:14:52