WASHINGTON: US Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the US Consulate in Karachi over the weekend, two American officials said on Monday, marking a rare use of force at a diplomatic mission and heightening tensions amid widespread protests over the martyrdom of Iran’s top leader.
Ten people were killed on Sunday when protesters breached the outer wall of the US Consulate General Karachi following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Citing initial information, the two US officials said it remained unclear whether the rounds fired by Marines struck or killed anyone. They also said they did not know whether shots were fired by others guarding the mission, including private security contractors and local police.
The disclosure marks the first confirmation by US officials that Marines were involved in firing at protesters during the incident.
A provincial government spokesperson, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, said “security” personnel had opened fire but did not specify which force was responsible.
Security operations at US diplomatic missions are typically handled by private contractors and local forces. The involvement of Marines underscored the severity of the perceived threat to the mission.
On Monday, Pakistan imposed a nationwide ban on large gatherings after protests over the strikes on Iran spread across the country. Authorities reported that at least 26 people were killed nationwide in related unrest.
Protesters gathered outside the Karachi consulate chanting slogans against the United States and Israel, while Reuters reporters heard gunfire and saw tear gas deployed in surrounding streets.
A video circulating on social media appeared to show at least one protester firing a weapon toward the consulate, with injured demonstrators seen fleeing as shots rang out.
A Karachi police official told Reuters that shots were fired from within the consulate premises.
The US Marines referred queries to the US military, which directed questions to the United States Department of State. The State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Further protests have been called in Karachi and Lahore despite the nationwide ban on public gatherings.
The US embassy in Pakistan is located in Islamabad, with additional consulates in Lahore and Peshawar. Authorities blocked roads leading to the Karachi consulate and deployed heavy police contingents around US missions in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.