DFA raises alert level 3 for Filipinos in Afghanistan

A NATO armored truck tows a vehicle damaged in a suicide attack in the Parwan province in eastern Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. An Afghan official says that at least 16 people, including four Czech soldiers, were killed Tuesday in a suicide attack near a clinic in eastern Afghanistan. A provincial spokesman says the others killed are at least 10 civilians and two police officers. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to the media. The violence came as Afghanistan was mired in an electoral crisis after one of the candidates in the presidential elections, Abdullah Abdullah, refused to accept any results until millions of ballots are audited for fraud. AP

MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos in Afghanistan were “strongly urged” to leave the country as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised crisis alert level 3 which entails voluntary repatriation.

“DFA has issued Alert Level 3 (voluntary repatriation phase) for Afghanistan due to the heightened tensions in that country following the conduct of the presidential elections last June 14,” DFA said in a statement Tuesday.

“Alert Level 3 is declared when violent disturbances or external aggression occurs in a limited area of a country. With this announcement, Filipinos in Afghanistan are strongly encouraged to volunteer to return to the Philippines,” it said.

A total deployment ban on Filipinos has been put in place for new hires and rehires going to Afghanistan.

“The DFA continues to monitor the political and security developments in Afghanistan,” DFA said.

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