The United States on Friday issued a “Level 3” travel advisory asking Americans to “reconsider travel” to specific areas of Pakistan, including Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces.
The US Embassy in Islamabad has also posted a travel advisory on its X handles.
What is a “Level 3” Travel Alert?
A Level 3 Travel Advisory means “Consider Travel”. It is issued when authorities warn that travel to a certain country or region may pose serious security risks.
In the case of Pakistan, the US has issued a “Level 3” advisory to reconsider visiting certain areas of the country due to numerous security concerns, including terrorism, crime, kidnapping and others, the statement said.
Although the consulate said there were no changes in advisory levels or risk indicators, “the advisory summary has been updated to reflect changes in US mission operations.”
US Travel Warning: Complete list of areas to avoid
The US has advised Americans not to travel to:
– Balochistan province due to terrorism,
– Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism and kidnappings.
– Close proximity to the Line of Control due to terrorism and possible armed conflict.
The US updated travel warning comes amid the ongoing Israel-US-Iran conflict and tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On Saturday, February 28, the US and Israel jointly launched an attack on Iran that also killed the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khamenei. On Sunday, at least 10 protesters were killed in clashes with police as they tried to storm the gates of the US consulate in Pakistan’s main port city of Karachi, a Bloomberg report said.
The US-Israel-Iran conflict
US President Donald Trump on Friday encouraged Iran’s Kurdish forces to go on the offensive, calling the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei “unacceptable”. He told Reuters that he must be personally involved in choosing Iran’s next leader.
“We want to be involved in the process of selecting the person to lead Iran into the future, so we don’t have to come back every five years and do it over and over again. We want someone who’s going to be great for the people, great for the country,” Trump said.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia has reportedly killed more than 1,000 people, including at least six US service members, and caused damage and instability in Gulf cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other key hubs.
