Pakistan tightens security for US diplomatic missions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday stepped up security measures around US diplomatic missions, following attacks on American consulates and embassies in Libya, Egypt and Yemen over an anti-Islam film.

A mob stormed the US consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday, killing US ambassador Christopher Stevens and several other staff members.

There were also anti-US protests in Egypt's capital Cairo and on Thursday a crowd stormed the American embassy complex in Yemeni capital Sanaa before being driven out by police.

"We have beefed up the security for the possible threats to the US embassy," Khurram Rasheed, a senior police official responsible for diplomats' security in Islamabad, told.

"We expect some protests against the embassy tomorrow and we are preparing to handle that."

The US embassy in Islamabad lies inside the city's heavily-fortified diplomatic enclave, and Rasheed said the entrance would be closed and extra security forces deployed.

In the eastern city of Lahore, police said they have issued an alert to protect the US consulate.

"The security is already tight but we have issued an alert to be careful for any urgent situation," Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani, senior police official responsible for security, told.

"We are also gathering information (on) whether some organisations are planning to organise some protests. In that case, we will take further measures to protect the US consulate."

The low-budget movie, entitled "Innocence of Muslims", which has sparked fury across the Muslim world, portrays followers of the faith as immoral and gratuitously violent.