In a first, the Islamic State has formally claimed an attack in Oman, a country that has had little history of security threats posted by jihadist groups- something that is itself unsurprising given that jihadists, who are Sunnis, do not draw on the native Omani population that primarily follows a different sect of Islam (Ibadism). The attack itself was directed at members of the country’s Shi’a community -- derogatorily dubbed ‘Rafidites’ (and specifically intended to refer to Twelver Shi’a).
Rather than being part of some sophisticated Gulf/Arabian Peninsula-specific strategy or necessarily indicative of a broader trend in the region, the attack is more simply a reflection of the group’s worldview that the Shi’a -- as a supposed ‘apostate’ sect -- are to be attacked wherever and whenever possible with the ultimate goal being that no Shi’a should be left on earth. So long as the attackers can successfully execute the attack and prove their allegiance to the Islamic State in doing so, that becomes sufficient grounds for the attack to be formally claimed by the organisation. In this case, there was clear value in claiming the attack given that it had no precedent in the country in question and that it emphasises the global and eternal nature of the group’s war against Shi’a.
Below are the relevant Islamic State materials translated. Any parenthetical insertions in square brackets are my own.
Amaq News report
More than 35 killed and wounded among the Shi’a and Omani security forces in an inghimasi [commando] attack by Islamic State fighters in the capital ‘Muscat’
[Photo caption]: The men who carried out the inghimasi attack on a gathering of the Shi’a in the Omani capital of Muscat.
More than 35 people among the Shi’a and Omani forces were killed and wounded in a major attack by Islamic State fighters in the Omani capital ‘Muscat.’
Security sources told Amaq agency that three inghimasis of the Islamic State attacked yesterday evening [i.e. on Monday] a gathering of the Shi’a while they were engaging in their annual rituals at a house of worship of theirs in ‘al-Wadi al-Kabir’ in the capital.
The sources added that the fighters opened fire with their machine guns on the Shi’a, and then clashed with the Omani forces that arrived at the place, and the clashes continued until morning today [Tuesday].
The sources explained that the attack resulted in the killing and wounding of more than 30 Shi’a and give members of the Omani forces, including a police officer.
16 July 2024.
[There was also a video clip of the attack included by Amaq News].
Islamic State
An inghimasi attack by the Caliphate’s soldiers in the Omani capital of ‘Muscat’ leaves 35 killed and wounded among the Rafidites and the apostate Omani forces
Oman -- Tuesday 10 Muharram 1446 AH
By granting of success from God Almighty, three inghimasis of the Caliphate’s soldiers attacked a gathering of the apostate Rafidites, near a house of worship of theirs in the al-Wadi al-Kabir region in the Omani capital of Muscat yesterday. They used machine guns to do so. This led to the killing and wounding of more than 30 Rafidites. Then the inghimasis clashes with the apostate Omani forces that arrived at the place, which led to the killing and wounding of five of them, including an officer, and praise and thanks be to God.
Let the apostate Rafidites know that the war is ongoing against them in every place- by the permission of God Almighty.
