KARACHI – U.S. officials have confirmed that American Marines stationed at the U.S. Consulate in Karachi opened fire on Sunday after protesters attempted to storm the diplomatic mission.
According to a report by Reuters, the incident occurred when a mob breached the consulate’s outer perimeter wall. In response, U.S. Marine security guards engaged the crowd with gunfire. While it remains unconfirmed if any specific casualties were caused directly by the Marines’ bullets, the overall death toll from the day’s unrest in Karachi has reached 10 people.
Conflicting Reports on Casualties
U.S. authorities stated it is currently unclear whether the fatalities resulted from the Marines’ fire, private security contractors, or the local police units deployed at the scene.
Protesters chanting “Death to America” were seen in viral social media footage, which suggests at least one individual from the crowd fired toward the consulate, prompting retaliatory fire from within the premises. A Karachi police official also confirmed that shots were fired from inside the consulate grounds.
Government Response
Sukhdev Sardas Hemnani, a spokesperson for the Sindh provincial government, confirmed that security personnel opened fire during the riot but did not specify which agency or force the personnel belonged to.
Countrywide Unrest
This incident is part of a larger wave of violent protests across Pakistan, which have claimed over 20 lives so far. In response to the escalating violence, the federal government has imposed a nationwide ban on large public gatherings. Security has been placed on high alert at U.S. diplomatic missions in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. All roads leading to the Karachi Consulate have been sealed, with heavy police deployments maintaining a strict cordon.
