SALALAH, OMAN — A personal dispute between acquaintances turned violent on Wednesday evening, June 17, 2026 in the southern city of Salalah, leaving two Omani citizens hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) responded to emergency calls regarding a shooting incident in a residential district of the Dhofar Governorate's capital around 8:30 PM. Upon arrival, security forces secured the scene and discovered two men suffering from non-life-threatening ballistic injuries.
According to initial police reports, the incident stemmed from a sharp personal altercation that escalated rapidly. Arguments over an ongoing private matter turned physical before one of the individuals involved drew a licensed firearm, discharging multiple rounds.
Paramedics quickly arrived at the scene to administer first aid before transporting both victims to Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah. Medical staff confirmed that one victim sustained a wound to the shoulder while the other was treated for a gunshot injury to the lower leg. Both are currently listed in stable condition.
"A personal disagreement should never escalate to the point of endangering human lives," an ROP official stated in a brief press release. "The situation was contained quickly by our units on the ground, and there is no ongoing threat to the public."
The shooter fled the immediate area following the incident but was apprehended shortly after by ROP tracking units. Law enforcement officials successfully recovered the firearm used in the assault.
The suspect is currently detained at a local police station, where investigators are conducting interviews to map out the exact sequence of events leading up to the gunfire. Public prosecution is expected to formally file charges of assault with a deadly weapon and illegal discharge of a firearm in a populated area.
Authorities are reminding residents that despite the availability of licensed personal firearms under strict regulatory conditions in the Sultanate, the misuse of weapons to settle civil or personal disputes carries severe judicial penalties, including extended prison sentences.
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