Hawzah News Agency- the office of Grand Ayatollah Sistani announced in a statement that senior Iraqi Cleric Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini al-Sistani, in a condolence message to Sheikh Ehsan al-Lawati, expressed his condolences for this great tragedy.

The text of the statement is as follows:

His Excellency Sheikh Ehsan Al-Lawati

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings

It is with great sadness and sorrow that we received the news of a deadly attack on the community of our beloved Shia brothers who participated in the mourning ceremony of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) in your country.

While condemning this terrorist attack and expressing our condolences to His Excellency and the families of the honorable martyrs and the general public, we ask God Almighty to grant mercy and divine blessings to the martyrs and speedy recovery to the injured. May God maintain security and stability in your country.

The Office of Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani

Najaf, Iraq

The ISIL terrorist group has claimed responsibility for attacking a mourning ceremony in the Omani capital of Muscat on the day of Ashura.

At least six people were killed and 28 others wounded in a shooting at a mosque in Oman in a rare act of violence in the Persian Gulf nation.

The attack late on Monday took place in Wadi al-Kabir, a district east of the capital city of Muscat, during a major religious event for Shia Muslims.