Four people have been killed in a shooting near a mosque in Omans capital Muscat, the countrys police say.

In a brief statement, they say a number of people were also injured in al-Wadi al-Kabir area.

Officers responded to the incident, and an investigation is now under way, Tuesdays statement said.

The police provided no further details, but some reports suggest that at least one gunman opened fire with an assault rifle.

All security measures have been put in place to deal with the situation, and procedures for collecting evidence are being completed as part of the investigation, the police statement said.

Such violence is rare in Oman, a strategically placed country at the mouth of the Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula with a predominantly Muslim population. (BBC)