At least nine people were killed and several others injured in Karachi on Sunday after security forces opened fire on protesters outside the United States consulate following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike, reported Al Jazeera.
Police and hospital officials said hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the consulate on Mai Kolachi Road in the early hours of Sunday, chanting pro-Iran slogans and attempting to storm the building. A police surgeon, Dr Summaiya Syed, confirmed that nine bodies were brought to Karachi Civil Hospital. Video footage circulated online showed injured protesters being carried by bystanders.
Protests also spread to other parts of Pakistan. In Skardu, a Shia-majority city in Gilgit-Baltistan, demonstrators set fire to a United Nations office building. Local government spokesperson Shabbir Mir told Reuters no casualties had been reported.
In Lahore, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the U.S. consulate, attempting to damage a security gate, but police said they were able to control the crowd without using force. Demonstrations are also expected later on Sunday near the U.S. embassy in Islamabad.
Protests over Khamenei’s killing have also erupted internationally, including in Baghdad, Morocco, and Kashmir, as demonstrators voiced outrage over the U.S.-Israeli operation.