Omanis shocked by road-rage stabbing shown in social media video

Footage circulating online shows fight between two drivers in Muscat

The attack took in place in the Ruwi area of Oman's capital, Muscat. Silvia Razgova / The National

A fatal attack recorded on camera in Oman's capital sparked outrage after video was posted online.

Witnesses said a Pakistani stabbed a compatriot in a road rage incident in Muscat.

Police confirmed a killing in the Ruwi area of Muscat on Friday afternoon on their social media accounts, adding that a suspect was arrested. No more details were made public.

The video appeared on WhatsApp and showed a 4x4 pulling in to the side of the road while a saloon car weaved sharply behind then parked in front of a row of shops.

The driver of the 4x4 got out of his car, walked to the saloon and opened the driver's door.

A fight broke out.

"We saw the man from the saloon car stabbing the other man," said Syed Haroon, 32, a Pakistani.

"He fell on the body of the car, stepped back and the man stabbed him several times again. We saw blood on the saloon car before he fell on the ground.

“The killer got into his car and drove away. It all happened so quickly.”

Other witnesses said the 4x4 blocked the saloon car when both vehicles were on the road and that frustrated the driver.

"The driver of the saloon car was honking [the horn] continuously, but the four-wheel drive was almost at standstill for more than 40 seconds before he [its driver] decided to move the car," Bangladeshi Fahim Hussain, 23, told The National.

"We don’t exactly know why he almost stopped the car and whether he did it deliberately or not.”

It was not clear who shared the video online.

Road rage incidents are rare in Oman. The last case reported by the police was in October 2014, when two Omanis fought on a road in Sohar, in the Batnah region.

Omanis who watched the video said they were shocked to see such a sight on WhatsApp.

"I didn't believe that I was looking at such violence in our streets here in Oman," secondary school teacher Suhaila Al Sabie, 46, told The National.

“Normally you see that kind of violence on television, not right from our streets.”