At least eight people died Sunday in Karachi, Pakistan, during a protest at the U.S. Consulate sparked by recent strikes in Iran, according to rescue officials. The escalating violence highlights growing regional instability following the reported deaths of Iranian leaders.
Hundreds of young demonstrators attempted to storm the diplomatic compound before being dispersed by police using tear gas, an AFP journalist confirmed. “We transported at least eight bodies to civil hospitals in Karachi, while twenty others were injured during the incident at the consulate,” Muhammad Amin, spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation rescue service, told AFP.
Most of the injured sustained gunshot wounds, Amin added. Videos circulating on social media depict protesters breaking windows at the consulate building in the southern Pakistani megacity, which is surrounded by barbed wire. “We are setting fire to the American consulate in Karachi. If God wills it, we will avenge the death of our leader,” one protester can be heard saying while filming others attempting to ignite a fire.
The unrest in Pakistan is part of a wider wave of demonstrations across the Middle East and South Asia following the strikes carried out by the United States and Israel in Iran. The development underscores increasing tensions in the region and potential for further unrest.
