US Marines shot at protesters who stormed consulate in Karachi, agency says

Police officers stand guard in front of the US Consulate General in Karachi REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro US Marines opened fire on protesters during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two US officials said on Monday — a rare use of force in a diplomatic post that could drastically increase tensions in the country amid widespread protests over the death of Iran’s leader. 📱Download the g1 app to see news in real time and for free Ten people died in the Sunday when protesters broke through the compound’s outer wall following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in attacks on Iran. Citing initial reports, the two American officials said it was unclear whether the shots fired by the Marines hit or killed anyone. They also did not know whether others protecting the mission, including private security guards and local police, had also fired. See details of the action that killed Ali Khamenei and dozens of members of the Iranian government. This would be the first confirmation by American authorities that marines were involved in the shooting of protesters. A provincial government spokesman, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, said “security” officers opened fire, without specifying which group they belonged to. Daily security operations at US diplomatic missions are often carried out by private companies and local forces, and the involvement of Marines in the incident highlights how seriously the consulate took the threat. Pakistan is home to the world’s second-largest Shiite community, after Iran. On Monday, Pakistan banned large gatherings across the country after protests against attacks on Iran spread, with 26 deaths reported across the country. On Sunday, protesters chanted “Death to America! Death to Israel!” in front of the consulate, where Reuters reporters heard gunshots and saw tear gas being fired into nearby streets. Videos on social media appeared to show at least one protester firing a gun toward the consulate and bloodied protesters running away as gunshots were heard. A Karachi police official told Reuters that the shots were fired from inside the consulate premises. The US Marines referred questions to the US Military, which in turn referred them to the State Department. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Shia community leaders have called for more protests in Lahore and Karachi despite a nationwide ban on public gatherings. The US embassy in Pakistan is in the capital, Islamabad, and there are two additional consulates in Peshawar and Lahore. Access roads to the US consulate in Karachi were blocked and there was a heavy police presence in the area. Similar measures were taken around American diplomatic missions in Lahore and Islamabad.

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