Oman mosque attack: What’s ISIL’s game plan?

Near Oman’s mountain-crested capital of Muscat, a rare act of violence last week shook a peaceful country largely bereft of even petty crime.

Gunfire rang out, and shouts of “Oh God!” were heard on July 15 in Wadi Kabir, a district east of Muscat, as three gunmen entered the Imam Ali Mosque.

Congregants were gathered for a major religious event for Shia Muslims. But the event ended with five people killed – four Pakistani nationals and a policeman – and at least 30 others wounded, according to Omani and Pakistani authorities.

In a country known for “exceptional” religious tolerance and a long tradition of coexistence, the real target might have been Oman’s stability, especially given its role as a regional mediator, say analysts.

Soon after, ISIL (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack – its first ever of an operation in the Gulf nation.

But experts said it is unclear if the attack was actually carried out by ISIL. More than a week after the attack, the group has offered no evidence except a video of the three alleged bombers — supposedly brothers — pledging allegiance to ISIL’s leader.

With the region and world focused on Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, ISIL — whether or not it was actually behind the attack — may be trying to stay relevant, heightening sectarian divisions, especially in places where virtually none exists, analysts suggest.

“It is clear that [ISIL] relies on a strategy of claiming responsibility for attacks even when it had no actual involvement, with the aim of inciting chaos and sectarian strife,” Faozi Algoidi, a research fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told media.

“By asserting responsibility for incidents that may originally be accidental or socially motivated, the organisation enhances the sectarian and terrorist nature of these events, bringing the issue of sectarian conflict back to the forefront.”