Muscat: A police officer has been found dead in Dhofar, the Royal Oman Police have confirmed.

The officer was found dead in his patrol car in the early hours of Friday after colleagues launched a search.

His body was taken to Sultan Qaboos Hospital and the car he was found within is being examined.

An ROP spokesman, writing on the force's official Twitter account, said: "Regarding what has been spread on social media, the investigation shows that the cause of death is a shot triggered from the rifle by mistake."