Army fires on stone-throwing protesters in Sohar

Muscat: A pitched battle between armed forces and protesters began post Friday prayers in Sohar with the army initially resorting to tear gas and then firing at a violent crowd at Wokaiba Roundabout, about 300 metres from the epicentre of protests in Oman – The Globe Roundabout.

"The armed forces are firing at the crowd," an eye witness told Gulf News from his house which is at the Wokaiba roundabout.

The gun shots could be heard over the phone as the eyewitness said that protesters were picking up shells and hurling back at the armoured vehicles.

A graphic video of a profusely bleeding Omani in Sohar triggered talk of one dead in police firing in the industrial port city this afternoon.

However, according to sources, six serious injury cases, including one extremely critical with head injuries, have been reported at the Sohar hospital but there has been no casualty so far. "Over 300 people came from Tarif area and were confronted by the police and armed forces at the Wokaiba roundabout," according to the eyewitness.

"Initially, it appeared that the armed forces were retreating as the crowd started hurling stones but then they charged after tear gas shells failed to deter the crowd," he said on the condition of anonymity.

After almost an hour-long battle, the crowd retreated leaving behind enough left-overs to indicate a pitched battle. "The area is strewn with stones of all sizes, footwear and in some places one can even see the 'kandura' (Omani dishdasha)," the eye witness narrated.

He said that both the protesters as well as the security personnel hurled stones at each other before the army started firing.

The security people were also seen arresting a large number of people from the scene, handcuffing them, and taking them away.

On Tuesday, police arrested a number of protesters in a dawn crackdown from the Globe Roundabout, which has been epicentre of protests in Oman since last February 26.

The Public Prosecutor issued a statement that the arrests were ordered after citizens complained about arson and violence.

On Thursday evening, nearly 200 people, including women staged protests in front of the Public Prosecutor's office in Al Khuwair District, demanding release of those held in Sohar crackdown.