Muscat: A 22-year-old Omani national murdered his mother in the Wadi Bani Ghafir area of Rustaq province on Sunday, Royal Oman Police (ROP) revealed to Gulf News.

The young man smashed a rock onto his mother’s head while she was sleeping, the official said.

The 45-year-old woman died instantly, according to paramedics.

The ROP said initial investigations reveal existing disputes between the man and his mother.

The accused is currently in police custody at the Rustaq police station.

Shocking crimes such as these are very rare in Oman.

In 2015, a 35-year-old Omani national murdered his 80-year-old grandmother in the Nama area of Sur province.

Omanis were shocked at the gruesome nature of the crime, after it was revealed that he beheaded her after killing her with a brick to the head.

The man turned himself into authorities and it was confirmed that he was mentally ill.

There were only six recorded murders in 2015, according to ROP figures.