US issues security alert as Afghanistan, Pakistan war erupts

The U.S. Mission to Afghanistan issued a security alert to its citizens as war erupted with Pakistan.

The alert cited recent Pakistani airstrikes and media reports that “aircraft remained in Afghanistan airspace and continued to look for targets” on Friday morning.

“Media outlets have also reported fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Major border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain closed,” the security alert said.

“These developments underscore the extreme risk of remaining in or traveling to Afghanistan.”

The State Department’s travel advisory for Afghanistan is level four, meaning “do not travel” due to the “risk of civil unrest, crime, terrorism, wrongful detention, kidnapping, and limited health facilities.”

“As stated in the Travel Advisory, the U.S. government is unable to provide routine or emergency services consular services to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan,” the alert says. “The U.S. Embassy in Kabul suspended operations in 2021.”

The Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after a chaotic withdrawal from the country by U.S. forces.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. 

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