Travel to Kabul is a once in a lifetime experience for any tourist visiting the beautiful city. It’s not often that you get the chance to witness history in its most pristine state, and while many American and European tourists will be doing so, it’s an experience you should never miss. Tours of both the US and the Afghanistan are available, with some of the best tours of the region taking place each week. A visit to the Kundozi district in Kunduz Province is a must for any traveller interested in touring Afghanistan. Here, breathtaking scenery stands against the dramatic backdrop of the majestic mountains that form the eastern border of this country. Whilst on a walking tour you can view plenty of ancient temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a theatre and a series of old shrines.
The third Thursday of every month, from Tuesday to Thursday, is a major celebration in Afghanistan. This is known as “Ibiristani New Year”. It is also known as “The Big Three” because of the regular evacuation of millions of people from the capital and the cities of Kunduz, Mazar-Khan and Helmand to the safer regions of the country. Over a million people are displaced and living in insecure positions during this period.
The reasons for the large-scale evacuation are varied, including the threat of an impending earthquake, instability in the Afghan government, rising insecurity across the board in Afghanistan and insecurity in the Kunduz Province. The Kunduz Province is the main region affected by fighting, with the government and local councils saying that the insecurity in the last 24 hours has left them no other choice but to implement an evacuation plan for the entire province. Other districts in Kunduz that have seen an influx of people are Takhar, Baghu, Shigur and Wardak. These towns are all expected to be back to normal on Wednesday evening, following the final evacuation.
The evacuation has also been triggered by a rumor that the US military has ordered the immediate evacuation of all foreign forces from Afghanistan. This is yet another false alarm, which was triggered by a Kunduz Province commander who was trying to broker peace talks between the government and the Taliban. No such evacuation was ordered by the international forces or the American military command. The Afghan security forces have been conducting operations throughout the day to try to flush out the remaining Taliban forces in the area. However, it is highly unlikely that any US troops have faced a casualty during these operations.
There are reports that American servicemen have been spotted at various locations inside the Kunduz Province. A tweet sent out by the embassy in Afghanistan states that there are currently approximately 100 servicemen at the Kunduz airport. The spokesperson for the embassy did not confirm whether these servicemen were stationed there to assist in evacuating citizens or if they were inspecting the base. The spokesperson also posted a picture showing the presence of US servicemen at the Kunduz airport.
It has been confirmed that a large number of foreign tourists are expected to travel to Kunduz on Wednesdays and to head towards the Pakistan Jalalabad route. This would be a huge boost to the Taliban, which is fighting to expel the Western-backed government from the country. If this is the case, the Taliban will be even more in a high threat as there are rumors that a large contingent of the Afghan National Army is heading towards Pakistan to reinforce the ongoing offensive against them in the northwest.
Neither mexican nor filipino. Just a “hard to place guy” from the US. Just love to travel.