At least nine people were killed after protesters attempted to storm the United States consulate in Karachi on Sunday, according to hospital and media reports, as demonstrations erupted in Pakistan following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Security forces opened fire to disperse hundreds of pro-Iran protesters who gathered outside the consulate early in the morning, Al Jazeera reported, citing officials.
A police surgeon at Karachi’s Civil Hospital told the broadcaster that at least nine bodies had been brought to the facility. Several others were reported injured.
Protests were also reported in other parts of the country.
In the northern city of Skardu, in the Shia-majority Gilgit-Baltistan region, protesters set fire to a United Nations office building, according to local authorities.
“A large number of protesters gathered outside the UN office in GB and burned down the building,” local government spokesperson Shabbir Mir told Reuters, adding that no casualties had been reported in the incident.
Pakistan is a predominantly Sunni Muslim country but is also home to millions of Shia Muslims.
Khamenei, who served as Iran’s Supreme Leader, was widely regarded as a spiritual figure by many Shia Muslims worldwide.
Protests against his killing were also reported in Iraq, Morocco and Indian-administered Kashmir.
Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes on Saturday, according to Iranian authorities, who confirmed his death early on Sunday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed retaliation, saying it had launched dozens of strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. interests in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump warned against further escalation.
Several countries, including Nigeria, called for restraint and dialogue between the parties. Although Nigeria has a Shia minority, particularly in the north, there were no reports of protests in the country as of the time of filing this report.
