Islamic State claims deadly attack on Oman Shiite mosque

MUSCAT,— Islamic State, the notorious Sunni militant group, claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a deadly assault on a Shi’ite mosque in Oman, a rare security breach in the oil-rich Gulf state. At least nine people killed in the attack, including three attackers.

Among the victims were four Pakistanis, an Indian, and a police officer, according to officials from Pakistan, India, and Oman. The Omani police reported that 28 people from various nationalities were wounded, including security personnel.

The attack commenced on Monday evening at the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in Muscat’s Wadi al-Kabir neighborhood, authorities revealed. The location is a mere 500 meters from an international school and a skateboard park, and less than 10 kilometers from several five-star beach resorts.

This act of violence is highly unusual in the typically secure and stable Sunni-dominated Gulf states. It raises concerns that Islamic State, which has been operating covertly since a U.S.-led coalition largely dismantled it in 2017, might be attempting a resurgence in new territories.

Islamic State issued a statement late Tuesday, claiming that three of its “suicide attackers” opened fire on worshippers at the mosque and exchanged gunfire with Omani security forces throughout the night. The group also released a purported video of the attack on its Telegram channel.

Another video, shared on social media and verified by Reuters, depicted people fleeing the mosque amid the sound of gunfire. Omani police have not disclosed whether they have identified a motive for the attack or made any arrests, and the identities of the attackers remain unknown.

A local source indicated that the mosque, also known as Imam Ali mosque, serves as a Shi’ite place of worship in Oman, a country ruled by the Ibadi sect, which has a small but significant Shi’ite minority.

The Pakistani foreign ministry called the incident a “terrorist” attack and said that 30 survivors were being treated in hospitals.

Islamic State claimed its fighters targeted a gathering of Shi’ite Muslims who were “practicing their annual rituals.” The attack coincided with the beginning of Ashura, a period of mourning for many Shi’ite Muslims, commemorating the 7th-century death of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. While Ashura has sometimes sparked sectarian tensions in other Middle Eastern countries, Oman, with its Ibadi tradition of tolerance, has largely remained peaceful.

Most Omanis follow Sunni Islam or the Ibadi faith, a branch of Islam that shares much with mainstream Sunni beliefs. Pakistan’s ambassador to Muscat, Imran Ali, remarked on the unprecedented nature of the attack, noting that Oman had never experienced such an event in its history. After visiting victims in the hospital, he reported that most were being treated for gunshot wounds, while others had been injured in the ensuing chaos, including some who were crushed in a stampede.

In recent months, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several high-profile attacks. In March, the group announced it was behind an assault that killed over 140 people at a concert hall near Moscow. In January, it took credit for two explosions in Iran that resulted in nearly 100 deaths. These incidents have fueled fears of a resurgence for a group whose fighters are believed to be scattered in autonomous cells with a clandestine leadership.

At the height of its power in the early 2010s, Islamic State declared a “caliphate” over vast regions of Syria and Iraq, enforcing brutal regimes of death and torture on dissenters and inspiring attacks across the globe. The group’s territorial control collapsed following a relentless military campaign by a U.S.-led coalition, but its ideology and network of operatives continue to pose a significant threat.

(With files from Reuters)