Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - Oman

Country Overview:  Oman remains concerned about the conflict in Yemen and the potential for AQAP and ISIS-Yemen to threaten its land and maritime borders.  Omani and U.S. officials regularly engaged in counterterrorism efforts.  The July 15 Mosque shooting accelerated that engagement.  Oman sought training and equipment from the U.S. government, other countries, and commercial entities to support its counterterrorism efforts and to control its land, air, and maritime borders.  Oman’s extensive coastline and long remote borders with Saudi Arabia and Yemen create obstacles for local capacity and coordination for counterterrorism investigations, crisis response, and border security capabilities.

Omani authorities developed specific plans to prevent or respond to terrorist attacks against soft targets, and Oman continued to seek opportunities for additional U.S. border security training, including export control best practices.  The FATF adopted Oman’s Mutual Evaluation Report, which noted high-level political commitment to addressing AML/CFT and progress on strengthening its AML/CFT regime.  In February, Oman hosted the TFTC’s workshop on emerging technologies and virtual assets.  Engagement with the Omani government indicates that Oman continued to counter terrorist recruitment through unpublicized initiatives. The Royal Omani Police continued to actively seek training and exchanges with U.S. counterparts to improve its tactical ability to respond to crises.

2024 Terrorism Trends:  On July 15, three ISIS-inspired Omani citizens attacked a Shia Mosque in a predominantly Pakistani neighborhood in Muscat.  Timed to coincide with a prominent Shia holiday, the three gunmen opened fire on worshippers using automatic rifles, leaving at least six dead (including a police emergency responder) and 28 injured.  Oman’s security services killed all three attackers.  ISIS subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack.