DFA warns vs travel to Afghanistan

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) extended its sympathies to Afghanistan after two suicide bomb attacks at a mosque on Friday killed 30 people, including women and children.

The DFA also advised the remaining Filipinos in the country to exercise extreme caution in the wake of escalating violence that has left more than 200 dead last month alone.

The Philippine Embassy in Islamabad, which has jurisdiction over Afghanistan, is also reminding the public that a travel and deployment ban to Afghanistan remains in effect and strongly advises against any travel there until further notice.

The embassy issued the advisory to the 1,500 Filipinos who are working mostly in military bases in Kabul and other locations in Afghanistan.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Afghanistan who continue to suffer from the senseless violence being inflicted upon them,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

“We ask our countrymen who are still in Afghanistan to exercise extreme caution and to avoid any movement outside of their work places,” Cayetano added.

Ambassador to Islamabad Daniel Espiritu said the latest suicide bombings followed a series of violent and frequent attacks across Afghanistan by both the Islamic State and the Taliban.

Espiritu said that based on the records of the nongovernment Civilian Protection Advocacy Group in Kabul, the number of civilian casualties in July alone has reached 545, with 232 dead and 313 wounded.

According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, there are already 5,122 civilian casualties — 1,692 deaths and 3,430 injured — in the first half of 2018 alone.