Oman rules out political intentions for the killing of one American in Muscat

The Omani police ruled out that the killing one American in Oman had political motives.

A high ranking Omani police official said that investigations are underway regarding the killing of the American, after his body was found on Wednesday, stressing that what had happened was just an "act of killing and has nothing to do with terrorism." An official in the American embassy in Oman confirmed the killing of the American, but refrained from giving more details, and did not clarify the implications of the killing.

During the two past months, two westerners were shot under vague conditions in Oman., A German tourist was hit by bullets in Muscat at the beginning of December, and another European was shot and strongly wounded in Muscat one month earlier. The Omani authorities said that the European man was injured in a fishing incident.

Some 65,000 tourists visit Oman annually to enjoy its coasts and archaeological sites.