The horrifying attack at Al Wadi Al Kabir mosque in Muscat on Monday night left an eyewitness trapped inside the mosque with hundreds of worshippers. The chaos and panic that ensued as bullets were fired for over an hour left nine individuals dead, including three assailants. In an exclusive interview with Times of Oman, the eyewitness recounted the harrowing ordeal that unfolded that fateful night.
The eyewitness described how the night of the ninth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, a time for mourning rituals, turned into a night of terror. As worshippers gathered in the courtyard, they were startled by sounds that resembled fireworks, only to realize they were in the midst of a violent attack. Cries of ‘Bhaago, Bhaago’ filled the air as people rushed inside the mosque to seek shelter from the continuous gunfire.
The eyewitness witnessed injuries, including a six-year-old child, amidst the chaos and violence. The firing went on for more than an hour and a half until the security officials stationed around the mosque retaliated, preventing an even greater tragedy. The eyewitness recounted the feeling of despair and the fear of not surviving the night as they huddled together in silence in the hall.
After nearly 2-3 hours of feeling like hostages, the ROP officers finally made their way into the mosque and evacuated the worshippers to the nearby Municipality building. The eyewitness expressed gratitude for the quick response of the authorities and the rescue that came just in time. The ordeal that began late in the evening finally came to an end in the early hours of the morning.
The expatriate employee, visibly shaken even the day after the attack, expressed relief at having survived and gratitude for the swift action of the ROP officers. He reflected on the shock of witnessing such an incident in a peaceful nation like Oman, where he had lived for the past five years. The eyewitness concluded with a mixture of relief and lingering fear, thankful for a new lease on life after narrowly escaping what could have been a devastating massacre.
