Anti-US Protests in Multiple Regions of Pakistan Leave at Least 20 Dead

Pakistani police sources told a Xinhua reporter on March 1st that anti-US protests broke out in multiple regions of the country that day due to the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, resulting in at least 20 deaths and over 100 injuries.

According to sources, three demonstrators were killed during clashes with police in an anti-US protest in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, that day. Around 2 p.m., about 4,000 protesters marched toward the diplomatic enclave where the US Embassy is located. Police fired gunshots to disperse the crowd. The wounded were sent to hospitals for treatment. Several protesters were detained by police. Security forces have now strengthened security at the entrance to the embassy zone.

The Islamabad city government has issued a notice prohibiting protests in the city, warning that violators will face legal consequences.

Earlier that day, at the US Consulate in Karachi, Sindh Province, southern Pakistan, protests resulted in 10 deaths. At that time, demonstrators attempted to storm the consulate, and law enforcement used tear gas and batons to control the situation. In Gilgit-Baltistan, protesters set fire to a United Nations office and attempted to attack military facilities. Security forces immediately opened fire, resulting in seven deaths.