US Marines opened fire on protesters storming the Karachi consulate, and ten people are already dead

U.S. Marines opened fire on protesters who stormed the U.S. consulate in Karachi over the weekend, in a serious and rare escalation. Two U.S. officials confirmed on Monday that Marines were involved in the shooting. This marks the first time U.S. officials have acknowledged that Marines fired at protesters.

According to Reuters, ten people were killed after protesters broke through the outer wall of the consulate compound. The protests broke out after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran.

While officials confirmed that Marines fired rounds, it remains unclear whether those rounds hit or killed anyone. It is also not known whether other security personnel, including private guards and local police who were also present, fired shots as well.

Marines firing on protesters shows how serious the threat at the consulate had become

The scene outside the consulate was chaotic, with crowds chanting “Death to America! Death to Israel!” Reporters on the ground heard gunfire and saw tear gas being used in the surrounding streets. Videos on social media reportedly showed at least one protester firing a weapon toward the consulate, with injured demonstrators fleeing as shots rang out. 

A Karachi police official said the shots were fired from inside the consulate. Earlier reports covered how crowds stormed U.S. facilities in Pakistan as the situation first unfolded. Normally, private contractors and local forces handle security at U.S. diplomatic missions. Marine involvement in this incident shows how seriously the consulate viewed the threat it was facing.

Pakistan, which has the world’s second-largest Shi’ite population after Iran, has seen widespread unrest following the strikes on Iran. Pakistan’s government banned large public gatherings across the country on Monday, with 26 people now reported dead nationwide. Despite the ban, Shi’ite community leaders have called for more protests in Lahore and Karachi. 

Security analysts have also raised concerns about vulnerabilities in U.S. diplomatic security abroad in the wake of these events. Roads leading to the U.S. consulate in Karachi have been blocked off, with heavy police deployment in the area. Similar security measures are in place around U.S. missions in Lahore and Islamabad.

When asked for comment, the U.S. Marines referred questions to the U.S. military, which then directed inquiries to the State Department. The State Department has not responded. A provincial government spokesman, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, confirmed that “security” personnel had opened fire, but did not say who they were affiliated with.