WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Religious violence and acrimony against the United States are reasons for U.S. citizens to be wary of traveling to Pakistan, the U.S. State Department said.
Islamabad's frustration with Washington grew following the May 2011 raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Ties were strained further when a raid involving U.S. troops along the border with Afghanistan left 24 Pakistani soliders dead.
Recent allegations that Pakistani intelligence figures are tied to the Taliban added to the tensions.
"The presence of al-Qaida, Taliban elements and indigenous militant sectarian groups poses a potential danger to U.S. citizens throughout Pakistan," a warning from the State Department read. "Terrorists regularly attack civilian, government and foreign targets."
Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said the updated travel warning shouldn't be seen as "a report card" on Washington's relationship with Islamabad, however.
"It's designed to be a factual report of some of the incidences that guide our continued warning to Americans," she said. "The fundamental warning hasn't changed."
The warning added that at least 18 people were killed last month in a bomb attack targeting a Shiite religious procession.
