August 4, 2016
In light of recent violence, including the July 23 explosions in western Kabul, which killed at least 80 people and injured over 260 others, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul reminds U.S. citizens of the serious threat of violence, kidnapping, and hostage taking in Afghanistan. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy continues to receive reports of militants planning unspecified attacks in Kabul City and elsewhere in Afghanistan against locations and individuals with potential American connections, including Afghan and U.S. government facilities, foreign embassies, foreign guest houses, restaurants, hotels, airports, civilian institutes, and educational centers. The U.S. Embassy takes these threats seriously and advises U.S. citizens to take appropriate security precautions and to avoid predictable travel patterns within Afghanistan.
The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens to review your personal security plans, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal safety, remain aware of your surroundings, monitor local news for updates, and maintain a high level of vigilance.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warning for Afghanistan, Travel Alerts, and Afghanistan Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy, which is located at Great Massoud Road between Radio Afghanistan and the Ministry of Public Health in Kabul. To reach the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit of the Consular Section during business hours, please call 0700-108-499 or send an email to KabulACS@state.gov. You can also reach the ACS unit through the Embassy’s switchboard by calling 0700-108-001/002. For after-hours emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please call the Consular Duty Officer at 0700-10-8001.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. Federal holidays)
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