- Eight people died and 20 were injured during protests at the US Consulate in Karachi
- Protesters threw stones and set parts of the consulate on fire amid security clashes
- Similar protests against the Shia leader's death were reported in Baghdad and India
Eight people died amid clashes with security forces as scores of men protesting Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's killing forced their way into the United States Consulate in Pakistan's Karachi on Sunday, per reports. The incident came as tensions escalated in the Middle East for the second consecutive day.
Visuals showed police clashing with protesters on the street outside the consulate. While protesters threw stones, police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse them. Another video showed scores of men inside the gated compound of the consulate, trying to break glasses of windows and doors to enter the main building. Some portions of the building were allegedly set on fire.
According to a statement issued by the Edhi Rescue service, law enforcement personnel used teargas and baton charges to control the escalating situation, resulting in "injuries to several" people, reported Dawn. "We have moved at least eight dead bodies to Karachi's civil hospitals, while 20 others were injured in the consulate incident," said Muhammad Amin, a spokesman for the Edhi Foundation rescue service, adding most had bullet wounds.
The Iranian Embassy in Pakistan issued a statement condemning the "cowardly, hideous and barbaric terrorist act of targeting" the leader. It remembered Khamenei's devotion to the "ideals of independence, dignity, and resistance".
Protests in Karachi.
Photo Credit: Reuters
Anger over the death of Khamenei, a prominent Shia leader, in the holy month of Ramzan spread from the Middle East to Asia. In Iraq's Baghdad too, protesters attempted to enter the fortified Green Zone, where the US Embassy is located, as security forces tried to disperse them using tear gas.
Protests in Baghdad.
Photo Credit: Reuters
AFP reported that protesters in Baghdad, some holding flags of pro-Iran armed groups, threw stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas. Local media reported protests in other provinces in southern Iraq.
In India, people in Jammu and Kashmir and Lucknow protested Ayatollah's killing, with prominent Shia cleric Maulana Yasub Abbas terming it "very unfortunate" for the global community. "Large-scale protests and demonstrations will be carried out at Lucknow's Imambara at 8.30 pm. All India Shia Personal Law Board has announced a mourning period of three days, when we all will wear black clothes and put up black flags at our houses," he told ANI.
In J&K, protests were witnessed in Srinagar, Budgam, Bandipora, Anantnag and Pulwama, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appealing for calm. "We must also ensure that those who are mourning in Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to grieve peacefully. The police and administration should exercise utmost restraint and refrain from using force or restrictive measures," he added.
The Embassy of Iran in India termed the Supreme Leader's killing an "unforgiveable crime". It added, "The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India calls upon independent and freedom-seeking governments around the world to strongly condemn this blatant crime and to refrain from remaining silent in the face of lawlessness and aggression."
86-year-old Khamenei's death was announced on Sunday, a day after US and Israel targeted Tehran and other cities in Iran. Among the casualties were 108 people, including children, at a girls' school in south Iran's Minab. In response, Iran launched attacks that spanned across the Middle East, targeting United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait.
Iran's Cabinet vowed that this "great crime will never go unanswered" and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened to launch its "most intense offensive operation" ever, targeting Israeli and American bases. "You have crossed our red line and must pay the price," Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a televised address Sunday. "We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg."
"Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before," Trump fired back in a social media post. "THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"
