ALBAWABA - Via a post on Telegram, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on a Shiite mosque in Wadi al-Kabir district, Muscat, which killed 9 people and more than 30 people injured.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that three of its members were behind the shootings, which targeted "Shiites practicing their annual rituals" during the sacred mourning season of Ashura.
ISIS' media channel, Aamaq, stated on Telegram that IS members "opened fire with machine guns on Shiite" worshippers before battling with Omani security forces.
Among the casualties were four Pakistani nationals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan stated that the attack targeted Ali Bin Abi Taleb Mosque, also known as Imam Ali Mosque, and was mainly attended by the Shiite minority in Oman.
The attack on the mosque on Monday occurred during Ashura this week, an annual day of sorrow for Shiites commemorating the death in battle of Imam Hussein in the seventh century, who is recognized by the branch as the Prophet Mohammed's legitimate successor.
The Omani released a statement regarding the incident: "The Omani Police have responded to a huge shooting incident in the vicinity of a mosque in Al-Wadi Al-Kabeer region".
"The authorities are continuing to gather evidence and conduct investigations to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident," the police continued.
