A gunman opened fire on a large crowd near a mosque in Oman, killing at least nine people and injuring “a number” of others, according to the country’s police on Tuesday.
Some 700 people had reportedly congregated at the Shia mosque in the al-Wadi al-Kabir neighborhood of the Omani capital of Muscat when it was attacked late Monday evening, social media posts citing locals say.
Reports have also said that the gunman fired on the crowd using an assault rifle.
The Royal Omani Police’s statement confirmed that authorities responded to the incident and that an investigation was underway; however, it did not indicate a motive or provide any details as to suspects who may be behind the attack.
“All security measures have been put in place to deal with the situation, and procedures for collecting evidence are being completed as part of the investigation,” the police statement noted.
The United States Embassy in Oman also issued a statement, warning all citizens to “stay away from the area” for the time being.
Such attacks are rare in Oman, located on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. The sultanate is widely considered one of the region’s safest countries and has a large Western expat community.
Shias make up only 5 percent of Oman’s population.