ADDS US CONSULATE'S CLOSURE IN PESHAWAR
By Aamir Latif and Riyaz ul Khaliq
KARACHI, Pakistan/ISTANBUL (AA) - The Pakistani government called in the army Monday and imposed a three-day curfew in several parts of the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region following deadly protests over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli attack, according to an official statement.
At least 23 people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between protesters and security forces across the country Sunday, prompting authorities to tighten security around the US Embassy and consulates.
A curfew was enforced in the districts of Gilgit, Skardu and Shigar, where at least 11 protesters and one security official were killed and 40 others wounded during confrontations.
In Karachi, the country’s commercial hub, 10 people were killed and more than 60 injured during a protest outside the US Consulate. Two additional protesters were killed in the capital, Islamabad, while heading toward the US Embassy.
The government warned that the situation could deteriorate further amid large-scale demonstrations condemning Khamenei’s killing.
- US suspends operations of Consulate in Peshawar
The US Embassy in Pakistan said Monday in a statement that it "temporarily suspended" its Consulate General in Peshawar in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
It said the US Consulates in Karachi and Lahore canceled all appointments for US visas and American citizen services Tuesday, adding that it has limited movement for all US government personnel throughout the country.
Regional tensions escalated Saturday after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran that killed several senior Iranian officials, including Khamenei.
Iran responded with a series of drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US assets in several Gulf countries.