JIT told US marine fired in retaliation as protesters stormed Karachi consulate

KARACHI: A Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) investigating the violent events of March 1 near the United States consulate in Karachi has been informed that a US marine opened fire in retaliation after protesters breached the mission's security, according to police officials who briefed the panel.

The six-member JIT was told that approximately 300 demonstrators arrived at the US consulate from Numaish without the approval of senior authorities. The protest was held in response to the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in coordinated US-Israeli strikes, as per the information provided to the JIT.

Police officers stated that Sindh police personnel stationed outside the consulate discharged 30 rounds as aerial warning shots in an attempt to prevent the crowd from entering the diplomatic premises. Despite these measures, the protesters managed to storm the building, prompting a US marine to fire in retaliation, the JIT was told.

The violence resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals and left 49 others injured, including seven policemen who sustained bullet wounds. The Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the JIT, however, do not specify any mandate for determining responsibility for the fatalities.

The JIT continues its probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident, focusing on the sequence of events and actions taken by both law enforcement and consulate security personnel during the protest.