Six people were killed and close to 30 wounded in a rare protest in Oman. Police fired rubber bullets at protesters demanding political reforms in the industrial city of Sohar. The city on Sunday saw a huge demonstration and clashes between protesters and police. Sources said that at least 1000 protesters had gathered for the second consecutive day in the city of Sohar, before the outbreak of violence.
Eyewitnesses said that demonstrators set on fire to a police station after the death of two protesters.
In Salalah, south of the country, thousands of protesters continued their sit-in near the governor's office. It began Friday.
Following the reports on the bloody clashes, the Omani leader Sultan Qaboos bin Said ordered to withdraw security forces from the streets of Sohar. He also announced the employment of 50,000 Omanis and the formation of a ministerial committee to formulate proposals for the expansion of the Shura Council.
Sultan Qaboos earlier declared a cabinet reshuffle which included six ministers and the appointment of some new advisers in the hope to ease tensions and limit the wave of political protests.
