• A still from a video released by ISIS purports to show the three gunmen who attacked a mosque in Wadi Al Kabir, near Muscat, killing six people and injuring dozens. The suspects were shot dead by Omani police. Amaq News Agency
    A still from a video released by ISIS purports to show the three gunmen who attacked a mosque in Wadi Al Kabir, near Muscat, killing six people and injuring dozens. The suspects were shot dead by Omani police. Amaq News Agency
  • People flee the scene after a shooting at the Imam Ali Mosque in Wadi Al Kabir, on the outskirts of Muscat, on Monday night. AFP
    People flee the scene after a shooting at the Imam Ali Mosque in Wadi Al Kabir, on the outskirts of Muscat, on Monday night. AFP
  • ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack at a Shiite mosque that left at least nine people dead. AFP
    ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack at a Shiite mosque that left at least nine people dead. AFP
  • A police checkpoint was established on the back road entrance to Imam Ali Mosque amid fears that ISIS may be trying to gain a foothold in new territory. Photo: The National
    A police checkpoint was established on the back road entrance to Imam Ali Mosque amid fears that ISIS may be trying to gain a foothold in new territory. Photo: The National
  • Footage on social media showed dozens of people fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunshots rang out. Photo: The National
    Footage on social media showed dozens of people fleeing the Imam Ali Mosque, its minaret visible, as gunshots rang out. Photo: The National
  • Four Pakistanis, an Indian and a police officer were among those killed at the mosque, according to Pakistani, Indian and Omani officials. Photo: The National
    Four Pakistanis, an Indian and a police officer were among those killed at the mosque, according to Pakistani, Indian and Omani officials. Photo: The National
  • Traffic was reduced on Wadi Kabir Al Bustan Road. Police said 'all necessary security measures and procedures' had been taken. Photo: The National
    Traffic was reduced on Wadi Kabir Al Bustan Road. Police said 'all necessary security measures and procedures' had been taken. Photo: The National

Oman mosque survivors say gunmen chanted 'non-believers, this is your end' as they fired


Ramola Talwar Badam
  • English
  • Arabic

Survivors of the Oman mosque attack have told of the moment gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons as they shouted: “You non-believers, this is your end.”

Worshippers thought the pops and cracks were firecrackers as they gathered at Imam Ali Mosque to mark an occasion sacred to Shiite Muslims, until bodies began falling to the ground.

“We fell to the ground … bullets hit the wall and road all around us,” Shaandar Bukhari, a mosque volunteer from Attock, Pakistan, told The National.

“The sniper was chanting loudly as he shot at us. It was in pure Arabic – not someone who would have learnt Arabic – and he shouted: “You non-believers, this is your end.'”

We pushed people inside and shut the doors so they could not enter. We tried to keep people calm but there was so much fear
Syed Hassan,
worshipper

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday night, which left nine people dead, including three gunmen, and dozens injured.

It broadcast a video showing three men holding the black ISIS flag before the attack in Wadi Al Kabir, a town outside Muscat. One can be seen holding an Austrian-made Steyr assault rifle. Their identities are not yet known.

The gunmen left dozens wounded and went on to trade fire with Omani police and troops until they were gunned down. The siege began at 10.15pm and lasted for more than 10 hours, ending on Tuesday.

Worshippers were shepherded out in batches from 11.30pm on Monday until 5am on Tuesday.

Omani authorities have released few details about the incident. It is not clear how the gunmen sourced weapons in a country with low gun ownership. ISIS has previously claimed responsibility for atrocities it had no direct hand in.

Streets in Wadi Al Kabir remained blocked off as the investigation continued on Wednesday.

The Omani government said it was ready to "confront any challenges" to its national security, in the wake of the shooting and the capsizing of an oil tanker off the coast of Oman.

“Our dear land witnessed an exceptional day when it was exposed to two unprecedented security incidents, and our security services responded to them with great efficiency, demonstrating to the entire world their readiness and ability to confront any challenges that arise,” the government said in a statement.

The statement said investigations are ongoing to determine the motive behind the incidents.

'Terrorist attack'

Worshippers said the gunmen were standing on the roof of an adjacent building and used the floodlights there to view targets in the courtyard below.

Mr Bukhari, 42, who heads a team of mosque volunteers and works for an advertising firm in Muscat, said he could not forget the violent images.

He crawled to the car park near the women’s section to carry two crying children to safety, but their father died in his arms.

“I saw a man in a white T-shirt holding an automatic rifle. He was looking away from me and then I got a chill down my spine when I saw two kids taking shelter between a car and the wall of the mosque,” Mr Bukhari told The National from the hospital where he is being treated after bullets grazed his arms.

“They were sitting on the body of their father and crying, ‘We will not leave our baba.’

“I picked them up and literally threw them into the mosque. Their father was badly wounded. [He] did not think he would make it and kept asking us to save his children.

“With another volunteer, we lifted him to take him in but he was shot in a burst of bullets, he died in our arms.”

Mr Bukhari spoke of the horror of hiding under bodies to escape the barrage of bullets.

“People were shot in the back and legs in front of my eyes as we crawled to the gate,” he said.

“I was lying under a body with two bodies near me. There was loud, constant firing.”

Like others, Mr Bukhari called the authorities by phone.

“We called to ask people to save us, we said there is a terrorist attack on our mosque,” he said.

“These men were barbaric, inhuman. If the Oman police had not come quickly, many more would have died.”

Raining bullets

Mr Bukhari said he spotted at least four gunmen on the roofs of buildings overlooking the mosque during the “relentless” attack.

A small alley between the men's and women’s section of the mosque was also attacked by the gunmen.

“They were firing on us from behind floodlights so we could not see them but they could see us clearly,” Mr Bukhari said.

“When people fell down, they were still firing at the bodies as if to make sure they wouldn’t survive.

“Then I heard bursts of fire that were definitely automatic machinegun bursts.

“It was raining bullets around me and people were falling near me.

“We began pushing people into the mosque.

“But the bullets started hitting the gate, the bullets were so strong, it pierced the gate, the walls.”

'Escaping death'

In the men’s section of the mosque, Syed Hassan, a businessman from Lahore, appealed to worshippers to stay calm.

“We tried to keep people calm but there was so much fear because there was so much shooting,” said Mr Hassan.

He and his teenage son narrowly escaped as they ran for shelter.

“We pushed people inside and shut the doors so they could not enter,” he said.

“This saved lives. But when we were running, my son was hit by a bullet in his right thigh. A bullet went right by my neck and into the door.”

Mr Hassan quickly turned off the lights in the women’s section so the gunmen would not have a clear sight inside.

While tending to his son and others injured, Mr Hassan said he worried about his wife and three children in the women’s section.

He managed to contact the women's section to pass on a message from the police to remain inside.

He and other volunteers have been monitoring the crowds at the mosque for more than a decade.

“If we had not pulled people inside and they were still standing on the road, there would have been a lot more casualties,” he said.

“If not for the local authorities and police many more would have died.”

Additional reporting by Khaled Moussa in Muscat.

'Nightmare Alley'

Director:Guillermo del Toro

Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara

Rating: 3/5

Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

Infobox

Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August

Results

UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets

Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets

Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets

Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs

Monday fixtures

UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%205%2C%201994%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jeff%20Bezos%20founds%20Cadabra%20Inc%2C%20which%20would%20later%20be%20renamed%20to%20Amazon.com%2C%20because%20his%20lawyer%20misheard%20the%20name%20as%20'cadaver'.%20In%20its%20earliest%20days%2C%20the%20bookstore%20operated%20out%20of%20a%20rented%20garage%20in%20Bellevue%2C%20Washington%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%2016%2C%201995%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20formally%20opens%20as%20an%20online%20bookseller.%20%3Cem%3EFluid%20Concepts%20and%20Creative%20Analogies%3A%20Computer%20Models%20of%20the%20Fundamental%20Mechanisms%20of%20Thought%3C%2Fem%3E%20becomes%20the%20first%20item%20sold%20on%20Amazon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1997%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20goes%20public%20at%20%2418%20a%20share%2C%20which%20has%20grown%20about%201%2C000%20per%20cent%20at%20present.%20Its%20highest%20closing%20price%20was%20%24197.85%20on%20June%2027%2C%202024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1998%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20IMDb%2C%20its%20first%20major%20acquisition.%20It%20also%20starts%20selling%20CDs%20and%20DVDs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2000%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Marketplace%20opens%2C%20allowing%20people%20to%20sell%20items%20on%20the%20website%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2002%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20forms%20what%20would%20become%20Amazon%20Web%20Services%2C%20opening%20the%20Amazon.com%20platform%20to%20all%20developers.%20The%20cloud%20unit%20would%20follow%20in%202006%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2003%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20turns%20in%20an%20annual%20profit%20of%20%2475%20million%2C%20the%20first%20time%20it%20ended%20a%20year%20in%20the%20black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2005%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Prime%20is%20introduced%2C%20its%20first-ever%20subscription%20service%20that%20offered%20US%20customers%20free%20two-day%20shipping%20for%20%2479%20a%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2006%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Unbox%20is%20unveiled%2C%20the%20company's%20video%20service%20that%20would%20later%20morph%20into%20Amazon%20Instant%20Video%20and%2C%20ultimately%2C%20Amazon%20Video%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2007%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20first%20hardware%20product%2C%20the%20Kindle%20e-reader%2C%20is%20introduced%3B%20the%20Fire%20TV%20and%20Fire%20Phone%20would%20come%20in%202014.%20Grocery%20service%20Amazon%20Fresh%20is%20also%20started%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2009%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20introduces%20Amazon%20Basics%2C%20its%20in-house%20label%20for%20a%20variety%20of%20products%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2010%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20foundations%20for%20Amazon%20Studios%20were%20laid.%20Its%20first%20original%20streaming%20content%20debuted%20in%202013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2011%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Appstore%20for%20Google's%20Android%20is%20launched.%20It%20is%20still%20unavailable%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2014%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Echo%20is%20launched%2C%20a%20speaker%20that%20acts%20as%20a%20personal%20digital%20assistant%20powered%20by%20Alexa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2017%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20Whole%20Foods%20for%20%2413.7%20billion%2C%20its%20biggest%20acquisition%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2018%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20market%20cap%20briefly%20crosses%20the%20%241%20trillion%20mark%2C%20making%20it%2C%20at%20the%20time%2C%20only%20the%20third%20company%20to%20achieve%20that%20milestone%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

England v South Africa Test series:

First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs

Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs

Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31

Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Profile of Hala Insurance

Date Started: September 2018

Founders: Walid and Karim Dib

Based: Abu Dhabi

Employees: Nine

Amount raised: $1.2 million

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers

 

Mane points for safe home colouring
  • Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
  • Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
  • When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
  • Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
  • If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
How Filipinos in the UAE invest

A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.

Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).

Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Teams

Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi

Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag

Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC

Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC

Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes

Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster

Price, base: Dh708,750

Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 374hp (total)

Torque: 570Nm (total)

Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Countries offering golden visas

UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.

Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.

Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.

Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.

Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence. 

Updated: July 17, 2024, 4:56 PM