By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two U.S. officials said on Monday—a rare use of force at a diplomatic post that could sharply escalate tensions in the country amid widespread protests over the killing of Iran's leader.
Ten people were killed on Sunday when protesters breached the compound’s outer wall after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran.
Citing initial information, the two U.S. officials said it was unclear whether rounds fired by Marines struck or killed anyone. They also did not know whether shots were also fired by others protecting the mission, including private security guards and local police.
This would mark the first confirmation by U.S. officials that Marines were involved in firing at the protestors.
A provincial government spokesman, Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, said "security" personnel had opened fire, without specifying their affiliation.
Daily security operations at U.S. diplomatic missions are often carried out by private contractors and local forces, and the involvement of Marines in the incident underscores how seriously the consulate viewed the threat.
Pakistan is home to the world’s second‑largest Shi’ite community after Iran. On Monday, Pakistan banned large gatherings nationwide after the protests over the strikes on Iran spread, with 26 people reported dead across the country.
Protesters on Sunday chanted “Death to America! Death to Israel!” outside the consulate, where Reuters reporters heard gunfire and saw tear gas fired in surrounding streets.
Video on social media appeared to show at least one protester firing a weapon toward the consulate and bloodied demonstrators fleeing as shots rang out.
A Karachi police official told Reuters that the shots were fired from inside the consulate premises.
The U.S. Marines referred questions to the U.S. military, which in turn referred questions to the State Department. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Shi’ite community leaders have called for more protests in Lahore and Karachi despite the nationwide ban on public gatherings.
The U.S. embassy in Pakistan is in the capital, Islamabad, and there are two additional consulates in Peshawar and Lahore.
Roads leading to the U.S. consulate in Karachi were blocked off with a heavy police presence in the area. Similar measures were in place around U.S. missions in Lahore and Islamabad.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Don Durfee and Cynthia Osterman)
