DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. citizens are advised against traveling in the Rasht Valley of Tajikistan after a military convoy was ambushed in the area, an embassy statement said.
"We recommend that U.S. citizens residing in or visiting Tajikistan avoid travel to the Rasht Valley until this advisory is lifted," a warning from the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan read. "If travel to this region is absolutely necessary, we advise U.S. citizens to exercise extra caution and remain vigilant."
Tajik officials said Islamic militants with ties to Afghanistan and Pakistan ambushed a military convoy carrying around 80 soldiers through the Pamir Mountains.
Officials said the attack was led by former field commanders from the United Tajik Opposition, a confederation of Muslim and nationalist groups that fought against Tajikistan's current government in the 1990s.
The embassy had warned its staff members to avoid public celebrations for Tajik Independence Day on Sept. 9 and issued a general advisory for the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Last month, more than two dozen inmates tied to Islamic militants escaped from a detention center in Dushanbe, Tajikistan's capital, killing a guard. An attack on another prison left four guards dead.
