Karachi, March 1 Protests turned violent near the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi Road in Pakistan's Karachi on Sunday following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes, local media reported.
Visuals circulating on social media showed doors and windows smashed and set on fire, and chaotic scenes outside the consulate premises, with demonstrators damaging property and clashing with security personnel.
Protesters were seen breaking windows and attacking the guard area with sticks, prompting a forceful response from law enforcement agencies.
Police resorted to tear gas shelling and fired warning shots in an attempt to disperse the crowd and restore order.
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, reports leading Pakistani newspaper, Dawn.
An Edhi ambulance transported the injured individuals to Civil Hospital Karachi for medical treatment.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar sought an immediate report on the situation from Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Azad Khan, according to a statement released by his office.
The unrest also caused significant traffic disruptions in the area. In an update issued at around 11 a.m., Karachi Traffic Police announced that both sides of the road from Sultanabad Traffic Section towards Mai Kolachi had been closed due to the protest, Dawn reported.
Authorities continued to monitor the situation closely as tensions remained high in the port city following the developments linked to the killing of the Iranian leader.
Khamenei was killed in an epochal attack by the US and Israel, marking an inflexion point in the 46-year Shia-theocratic rule, as Tehran's retaliation set off conflagrations in a swath of the Middle East.
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