US officials: Karachi demonstrators were shot at by Marines

According to two US sources on Monday, US Marines opened fire on protesters during the weekend’s storming of the Karachi consulate. This is an unusual use of force at a diplomatic facility that could significantly heighten tensions in the nation amid widespread protests over the death of Iran’s leader.

Following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli assaults on Iran, demonstrators broke through the compound’s outer wall on Sunday, killing ten people.

The two US officials, using preliminary information, stated that it was not clear if Marine shells hit or killed anyone.

Additionally, they were unaware of whether local law enforcement and private security personnel had also fired rounds to safeguard the mission.

This would be the first time that US officials have confirmed that Marines fired at the demonstrators.

Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, a spokesman for the province government, claimed that “security” officers had opened fire, but he did not identify them.

Private contractors and local troops frequently conduct daily security operations at US diplomatic posts; the Marines’ participation in the incident highlights how seriously the embassy took the danger.

The second-largest Shia community in the world, after Iran, is found in Pakistan.

After the protests over the strikes on Iran expanded and 26 people were reported dead nationwide, the government outlawed big gatherings on Monday.

Reuters reporters heard gunfire and witnessed tear gas being used in the nearby streets as protesters gathered outside the consulate to voice their opposition to the US-Isreali attack that killed Iran’s supreme commander.

Social media footage purportedly showed bloodied protesters running away as gunfire erupted and at least one protester brandishing a firearm in the direction of the consulate.

According to a Karachi police official who spoke to Reuters, the gunfire came from within the consulate’s grounds.

Questions from the US Marines were forwarded to the US military, which forwarded them to the State Department.

A request for comment was not answered by the State Department.

Despite the statewide prohibition on public meetings, leaders of the Shia minority have called for additional rallies in Karachi and Lahore.

There was a significant police presence in the vicinity, and roads leading to the US consulate in Karachi were closed.

The US missions in Lahore and Islamabad were subject to similar regulations.