At least nine people were killed and twenty-five wounded in Karachi after Shiite protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate following the U.S.-Israel strike that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Police confirmed the death toll rose after critically injured victims succumbed. The violence erupted as protesters, angered by the killing, clashed with security forces outside the consulate building.
Witnesses reported protesters briefly breached the perimeter before being dispersed. Authorities in Sindh province appealed for calm, urging peaceful protest expression. Shiite communities across Pakistan held rallies in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and planned demonstrations in Islamabad, demanding justice for Khamenei's death.
Security was heightened around U.S. diplomatic missions nationwide. Shiites, comprising roughly 15% of Pakistan's 250 million population, staged rare large-scale anti-U.S. and anti-Israel protests, though such clashes are uncommon.
Source: Yahoo Finance · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing