Ten people were arrested over charges of ransacking a global fast food chain in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority on Tuesday evening, police said.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com that at around 6:15pm, around 40 people, mostly young people, armed with sticks and stones, attacked the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet at Korangi Road, in an attempt to vandalise it.

“Police responded immediately and dispersed the crowd,” the South police chief said, adding that 10 suspects have been apprehended.

Speaking on the possible motive of the attack on the food outlet, DIG Raza said, “Their motive was to protest against US and Israel policies in Gaza.”

He said the situation was now under control, vowing that the rest of the protestors and their organisers were being pursued by the police and legal action would be taken against all.

“Security of other KFC branches is being beefed up,” DIG South said.

DIG said, “There is a similar pattern across the Muslim World, especially Bangladesh and other countries, mostly incited by social media, where mobs resort to such hooliganism.”

Meanwhile, last night, some persons also attacked and ransacked the KFC branch in Mohammad Ali Society, said Bahadurabad police Station House Officer Naveed Soomro.

Speaking to Dawn.com, he said the miscreants had attacked the restaurant when a rally was passing through it, adding that a first information report was registered but no one was arrested.

According to the contents of the FIR, the complainant, Saad Gul, said he was the manager of the branch and was present when a security guard informed him that some persons were demanding to close the restaurant at 11:35pm.

He said that they switched off the lights. However, around 15 people stormed the restaurant, attacking it with chairs, sticks and stones and damaging the main gate’s glass.

The complainant said he and the other staff ran towards the back door and saved themselves. The police invoked sections 146, 147, 148, 427 and 504 of the Pakistan Penal Code against unidentified people.

A shutter-down strike was observed in Karachi yesterday on the call of traders in connection with the global strike call given by Hamas to show solidarity with Palestinians and denounce the genocide in Gaza.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel started bombarding Gaza in retaliation for an attack by Hamas, killing more than 50,695 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

A ceasefire was introduced in January, but Israel resumed hostilities last month.