On 15 July three Omani men fired on civilians outside a Shia mosque in the Wadi al-Kabir district of the capital Muscat in an attack claimed by Islamic State. According to Oman’s police force, the gunmen killed six people and injured at least another 30 before the police shot them.
Sectarian terrorist attacks are rare in the sultanate. Oman is dominated by the Ibadi sect of Islam which is generally seen as tolerant and has tried to defend against sectarianism at home while employing neutrality in its foreign policy. The recent attack could shake these two principals and Oman’s reputation as an oasis of stability. (CONTINUED - 105 WORDS)