Gilgit, March 3 — At least 13 people, including 12 protesters and one security official, were killed and scores injured as violent demonstrations swept through Gilgit and Skardu following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes, officials said on Monday, as reported by Pamir Times.
Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in both cities, suspended cellular services across the region and deployed the Pakistan Army under Article 245 of the Constitution to assist civil authorities.
According to officials, eight people were killed in Gilgit and five in Skardu during clashes between protesters and security forces.
In Gilgit’s Jutial area, security forces opened fire after demonstrators allegedly attempted to enter a restricted military zone. Seven protesters were killed initially, and another injured person later succumbed to wounds, taking the toll in the city to eight.
The deceased were identified as Syed Ikram and Munawar from Bagrote; Munir and Hanif from Astore; Kaleem Abbas from Naltar; Manzar Ali from Jutial; and Ajmal Husain from Hunza.
During the unrest in Gilgit, protesters set ablaze the office of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and an office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In Skardu, at least five protesters and one security official were killed in clashes, the Medical Superintendent of the Skardu Government Hospital confirmed, adding that two injured persons remained in critical condition.
Protesters in Skardu torched multiple buildings, including the UNMOGIP office, an Army Public School, offices of the Superintendent of Police and District Police Officer, the offices of 62 Brigade, a guest house run by Green Tourism, the Software Technology Park and the AKRSP building. More than two dozen vehicles parked near government offices were also set on fire.
Rescue teams shifted the injured to nearby hospitals where emergency was declared.
The Gilgit-Baltistan government imposed a curfew across both cities, shuttering markets and halting traffic. Entry points were sealed, with limited relaxation for a few hours to allow residents to purchase essential supplies before restrictions were reimposed. Educational institutions in both cities were ordered shut.
The Pakistan Army was deployed in Skardu under Article 245, which permits federal authorities to call in the armed forces to assist in maintaining law and order. Gilgit-Baltistan Police said the deployment was aimed at supporting civil administration amid escalating tensions.
Cellular services were suspended indefinitely across the region, complicating independent verification of casualty figures and ground conditions. Services were partially restored in some areas by Sunday evening.
Police also registered cases at the Counter Terrorism Unit police station against individuals allegedly involved in the violence.
Meanwhile, funeral prayers for five youths killed in Skardu were offered at the Markazi Imamia Jamia Masjid and attended by large crowds as the city observed a second day of mourning.
In Gilgit, community leader Agha Syed Rahat Hussain Al-Hussaini announced that burials would remain suspended until authorities formally accept a list of demands, including a judicial inquiry into the firing, medical treatment for the injured, compensation for families of the deceased and withdrawal of anti-terrorism cases against members of Millat-e-Jafaria.
“We will not proceed with burials until our demands are formally accepted,” he said, describing the move as a peaceful measure to seek justice and transparency.
The community also demanded legal action against those responsible for ordering firing on protesters and called for no further arrests or curfews, warning such measures could worsen tensions.
As of filing this report, no official government response to the demands had been issued.
The unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan forms part of wider protests across Pakistan following Khamenei’s assassination, with reports indicating dozens killed and nearly 200 injured nationwide.