U.S. Marines opened fire on demonstrators during a weekend assault on the U.S. consulate in Karachi, two U.S. officials told American authorities on Monday. The disclosure marks a rare instance of Marines using lethal force at a U.S. diplomatic post and arrives amid widespread demonstrations tied to the reported killing of Iran's leader.
On Sunday, protesters overwhelmed the compound's outer wall, and ten people were killed during the breach, officials said. The violence unfolded after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran, a development that prompted mass mobilization across Pakistan's Shi'ite community.
Citing initial information, the two U.S. officials said it remained unclear whether rounds fired by the Marines struck or killed anyone. They also said they did not know whether others responsible for protecting the mission - including private security guards or local police - also fired shots during the siege. If confirmed, the Marines' involvement would be the first official acknowledgment that U.S. Marines fired at protesters in the incident.
A provincial government spokesman, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, said that "security" personnel had opened fire, though he did not identify the affiliation of those individuals. Daily security operations at U.S. diplomatic posts are frequently handled by a mix of private contractors and local forces, and officials noted that Marine participation underscores how seriously the consulate assessed the threat to the mission.
Authorities reported that, by Monday, Pakistan had imposed a nationwide ban on large gatherings as the demonstrations spread across the country. Officials said 26 people had been reported killed in protests nationwide.
During the assault on the Karachi compound, protesters chanted "Death to America! Death to Israel!" outside the consulate. Journalists on the ground heard gunfire and observed tear gas being deployed in surrounding streets. Social media videos circulated showing at least one protester firing a weapon toward the consulate and bloodied demonstrators fleeing as shots rang out.
A Karachi police official said that some shots had been fired from inside the consulate premises. Questions about the incident were routed from U.S. Marines to the U.S. military, which in turn referred queries to the State Department. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Shi'ite community leaders have called for further demonstrations in Lahore and Karachi despite the nationwide prohibition on public gatherings. In response to the unrest, roads leading to the U.S. consulate in Karachi were sealed and a heavy police presence was deployed in the area. Similar security measures were reported around U.S. missions in Lahore and Islamabad.
The U.S. embassy in Pakistan is located in the capital, Islamabad. There are also two additional U.S. consulates in Peshawar and Lahore. The sequence of events in Karachi highlights the intersection of diplomatic security operations and a volatile domestic reaction to developments in the region.
Summary of events
- U.S. Marines fired on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate, U.S. officials said.
- Ten people were killed when protesters breached the compound's outer wall on Sunday.
- Pakistan placed a nationwide ban on large gatherings as protests spread, with 26 reported dead across the country.