US confirms marines fired during assault on Karachi Mission

2026-03-03 - 21:33

JIT to submit report in 2 weeks Zubair Yaqoob Karachi United States Marines opened fire on demonstrators who breached the outer wall of the U.S. Consulate in Karachi over the weekend, American officials said, marking a rare use of force at a diplomatic mission and intensifying unrest already gripping Pakistan. The violence erupted Sunday at the United States Consulate General Karachi as protests swept across the country following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in strikes on Iran. Local officials said at least 10 people were killed when demonstrators stormed the consulate compound in the southern port city of Karachi. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters it remained unclear whether rounds fired by the Marines struck or killed anyone. They added that it was not known whether additional shots were fired by other security personnel assigned to the mission, including private contractors and local police. The acknowledgment appeared to be the first confirmation from American officials that Marines were involved in discharging weapons during the confrontation. A senior police official in Karachi told Reuters that gunfire originated from inside the consulate premises. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show at least one protester firing toward the compound as bursts of gunfire echoed and wounded demonstrators fled. In response, the Sindh provincial government formed a joint investigation team to determine what transpired. Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, a government spokesman, said the inquiry would examine whether the firing originated from within the compound and who bore responsibility. “At the moment investigation is underway by the JIT; hence we can’t confirm who opened the fire,” Hemnani said in remarks to the Pakistan Observer. Several police officials were suspended for failing to contain the situation outside the consulate in time, authorities said. Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon said the fact-finding team was expected to submit its report within two weeks.