Karachi: 10 Dead as Pro-Iran Demonstrators Breach U.S. Consulate Walls.
KARACHI – Tensions reached a boiling point in Pakistan’s largest city as U.S. Marines opened fire on demonstrators attempting to storm the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi. The incident, confirmed by two U.S. officials on Monday, marks a rare and significant escalation of force at a diplomatic mission following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The violence erupted over the weekend when hundreds of pro-Iranian protesters, incensed by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, converged on the consulate. According to official reports, the crowd managed to breach the compound’s outer perimeter wall, prompting a direct response from the security detail inside.
While at least ten people were reported killed during the Sunday clashes, U.S. officials noted that it remains unclear whether the casualties were the direct result of the rounds fired by the Marines. Security at the site was a multi-layered operation involving local Karachi police, paramilitary Rangers, and private security contractors, all of whom were engaged in dispersing the mob with tear gas and live ammunition.
“Security personnel opened fire to protect the mission,” said provincial government spokesperson Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, though he did not specify which unit initiated the lethal force. However, video footage circulating on social media showed bloodied demonstrators fleeing as heavy gunfire echoed from within the consulate grounds.
In the wake of the violence, the Pakistani government has banned large public gatherings nationwide. Similar protests have been reported in Lahore and Islamabad, where security has been fortified to prevent further breaches. The U.S. State Department has yet to issue a formal comment, though the Karachi mission remains on high alert as Shi’ite community leaders call for continued demonstrations.
