Gilgit (PoGB), March 3 (ANI): Protests turned violent across Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan after reports that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, leaving at least seven people dead in clashes.
Demonstrations in Gilgit and Skardu escalated into arson and exchanges of fire with security forces. In Gilgit, offices linked to the United Nations, including the UN Development Programme office, were set ablaze. In Skardu, protesters torched the SP office, several government buildings and a private semi-government hotel as tensions rose.
Seven demonstrators were killed when security forces opened fire to disperse crowds, and more than a dozen were injured. Hospitals in the region declared emergencies to treat the wounded, while security agencies and police were placed on high alert in both Gilgit and Skardu.
Senior journalist Manzar Shigri, reporting from Gilgit’s Salma Bazaar (Nabi Bazaar), said announcements confirming Khamenei’s death around 7:30 am prompted people—particularly in Skardu—to take to the streets. Markets in Gilgit shut immediately, and by afternoon the situation had worsened significantly.
Shigri said the UN CIP office (United Commission for India and Pakistan) in Skardu was burned and similar incidents occurred in Gilgit. Exchanges of fire aimed at dispersing demonstrators were heard, and markets across the Baltistan region remained closed. Authorities in Skardu reported multiple government offices damaged.
District and divisional administrations are considering requesting army assistance to restore order, though no army deployment had been reported at the time. Security personnel remain deployed at key locations to prevent further escalation. (ANI)
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