At least nine people have been killed near a United States consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, after protests erupted following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an official told Al Jazeera.

Several others were injured as security forces opened fire to disperse hundreds of pro-Iranian protesters attempting to storm the consulate early Sunday morning.

Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed informed Al Jazeera that at least nine bodies were brought to Karachi's civil hospital.

Video footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed a wounded person being transported by bystanders. Other images depicted protesters trying to storm the US consulate building on Mai Kolachi Road.

Large protests also broke out in other parts of Pakistan.

Protesters set fire to a United Nations office building in Skardu, in the Shia-majority Gilgit-Baltistan region, known for its Himalayan peaks popular with tourists.

In Lahore, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the US consulate, but no violence was reported.

A demonstration is also expected near the diplomatic enclave housing the US embassy in Islamabad on Sunday afternoon.

Protests over Khamenei's killing have also occurred elsewhere in the world, including Iraq, Morocco, and Indian-administered Kashmir.

Source: www.aljazeera.com