The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the shooting incident near a Shiite mosque in the Omani capital Muscat, said the officials on Tuesday. Six people, including four Pakistanis and an Indian national, were killed and 30 injured in the shooting incident.
Monday's attack on the mosque came as Shiites this week mark Ashura, an annual mourning day commemorating the seventh-century death of Imam Hussein, in a battle, who is 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 who were behind the attack were killed and police officers " concluded the procedures for dealing with the shooting," it added.
The force said six people were killed in the attack. including a police officer. It also said that 28 people "from various nationalities" were wounded, including rescuers and paramedics.
The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, reported AFP, saying three of its fighters were behind the shooting that targeted "Shiites practising their annual rituals" on the occasion of the holy mourning period of Ashura.
The outfit'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, as per the AFP report.
Pakistan's foreign ministry said that at least four of its nationals "were martyred as a result of gunshots in the dastardly terrorist attack on the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque."
Another 30 Pakistanis were wounded in the attack, it said.
One Indian national was also killed while another was wounded in the attack.
"Following the shooting incident reported in Muscat city on 15 July, Foreign Ministry of Sultanate of Oman has informed that one Indian national has lost his life & another is injured. Embassy offers its sincere condolences & stands ready to offer all assistance to the families," said the Embassy in a post on X.