Marines Opened Fire After Group Attempted to Storm US Consulate in Pakistan

Marines assigned to the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, recently fired their weapons in self-defense after they were attacked by protestors who had breached the facility, a U.S. official told Task & Purpose.

Reuters first reported that the Marines had fired their weapons when protesters tried to storm the consulate on Sunday following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who was killed the day prior during air and missile strikes against Iran launched by Israel and the United States. 

Ten people were killed during the incident, but it is unclear whether any of the attackers were hit by the Marines or by other forces, including private security guards and local police, according to Reuters.

“The Marines took appropriate defensive measures to protect themselves and de-escalate the situation,” the U.S. official said. “Any actions that resulted in the discharge of weapons were justified, given the consulate facility and Marines were attacked. There was no further incident.”