At least 6 killed as Shiites storm US Consulate in Pakistan over killing of Iran s supreme leader

At least six individuals lost their lives and around a dozen were injured during violent confrontations with police and paramilitary forces on Sunday. This unrest occurred after hundreds of demonstrators surged into the U.S. Consulate located in Karachi, a major port city in Pakistan. The clashes erupted just hours after the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, resulting in the death of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Medical officials in Karachi reported that at least eight people suffered injuries during the violence. Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the main government hospital, confirmed that the facility received six bodies along with several injured individuals. Karachi serves as the capital of Sindh province and is the largest city in Pakistan. Senior police official Irfan Baloch noted that the protesters briefly breached the outer area of the U.S. Consulate but were eventually driven back. "The situation is now completely under our control," Baloch stated. He also refuted claims that any part of the consulate was set ablaze. However, he mentioned that protesters did set fire to a nearby police post and broke windows of the consulate before security forces regained control. Witnesses reported that many Shiite demonstrators were still gathered about a kilometer (half a mile) away from the consulate, calling for more supporters to join them. Shiites represent roughly 15% of Pakistan's population of about 250 million and are among the largest Shiite communities globally. They have often organized rallies against Israel and the U.S., although such large-scale clashes are uncommon. Additionally, Shiites conducted a rally near the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, according to police. Faisal Kamran, a senior police official, indicated that protesters attempted to gather outside the consulate but were not permitted to do so. Police intervened and dispersed the crowd when they attempted to proceed toward the building.