Multiple people were killed after Pakistani security forces opened fire on armed attackers who stormed the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi.
Assault on the consulate
Hundreds of protesters gathered near the consulate and attempted to force their way past the security perimeter and gates.
The demonstrations were largely comprised of Shiite Muslims and supporters of the Iranian government and were part of nationwide protests triggered by the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes the previous day.
Demonstrations devolved into a riot when organized attackers began pelting rocks and other projectiles at the consulate’s outer perimeter earlier in the day.
Others smashed windows and set fire to a nearby police outpost.
Video footage from the scene shows at least one armed man firing a handgun towards the consulate while additional gunfire could be heard in the background.
Security response
Roads leading to the consulate were closed and orders restricting gatherings were enforced in related areas, including Islamabad.
Pakistani security forces, primarily police and paramilitary units, responded to contain the situation.
Officials stated that forces deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons initially, followed by live ammunition after protesters breached parts of the security cordon and continued to advance.
Senior police official Irfan Baloch noted that protesters briefly attacked the consulate perimeter before being dispersed.
Sindh government spokesperson Sukhdew Assardas Hamnani reported that security forces opened fire at the consulate site, according to a report from the Associated Press.
It is unclear whether any U.S. Marines guarding the consulate complex were forced to open fire and the Pakistani government has denied those claims.
Sindh Minister for Interior Ziaul Hasan Langar said protesters turned violent, announced an inquiry, and rejected claims of U.S. Marine involvement.
Aftermath and warnings
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad issued a security alert and directed U.S. government personnel to restrict their movements.
Related protests in Islamabad saw police use tear gas and batons against crowds attempting to march on the U.S. embassy.
Similar crowd control actions were deployed in Lahore and Peshawar.
The State Department has advised Americans living in several predominantly Muslim countries to exercise extreme caution amid ongoing military operations in Iran.
