Kabul [Afghanistan], August 20 (ANI): The United States has once again urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Afghanistan, warning of serious risks to their safety and the possibility of arbitrary detention, Khaama Press reported.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the US Department of State advised Americans to “be aware of risks and make informed decisions” before considering travel to the country.
The advisory explained that Washington uses a special “D risk indicator” in its travel alerts to identify countries where US citizens face a high danger of wrongful or arbitrary detention. Afghanistan, it said, tops the list due to the severity of threats on the ground.
Along with Afghanistan, the State Department flagged several other countries, including Burma, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela, as posing similar dangers.
Khaama Press reported that the warning follows incidents in which Taliban authorities detained American nationals who had entered Afghanistan, adding to Washington’s concerns about their safety. By placing Afghanistan at the top of its risk list, the US government reinforced its call for citizens to reconsider any travel plans to the country.
Earlier this year, the State Department reissued its Afghanistan travel warning, noting that US citizens face multiple threats, including terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and the risk of wrongful detention. It also stressed that the US Embassy in Kabul has remained closed since 2021, leaving Washington unable to provide consular assistance.
“Multiple terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan and US citizens are targets of kidnapping and hostage-taking. The Taliban have harassed and detained aid and humanitarian workers. Even if you are registered with the appropriate authorities to conduct business, the risk of detention remains high,” the statement said.
In addition, the State Department issued a security alert for Kenya, warning that terrorist groups could strike with little or no warning.
“Terrorist groups, such as al-Shabaab, are an ongoing and persistent threat in Kenya. Locations such as hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, schools, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners and tourists continue to be attractive targets. Terrorist groups can attack with little to no warning,” the advisory stated.
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