TEHRAN - Following escalation of tensions in the region, the U.S. government has issued a travel advisory for its nationals, asking them not to visit “most of Jammu and Kashmir”.

The U.S. government on Friday updated its Level 2 travel alert for India and asked U.S. citizens not to visit “most of Jammu and Kashmir” due to “terrorism and civil unrest”.

It also advised American travelers to not venture within 10 km of the border with Pakistan “due to the potential for armed conflict”.

“Sporadic violence occurs particularly along the Line of Control separating India and Pakistan, and in tourist destinations in the Kashmir Valley: Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam,” the U.S. Department of State advisory said.

A Level 1 alert means travelers should exercise normal precautions. A Level 2 alert asks visitors to exercise caution, while a Level 3 alert means “reconsider travel”, and Level 4 is “do not travel”.

The advisory says to “exercise caution” while visiting India and warned that terrorists “may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities”.

On February 13, the U.S. government had issued a Level 3 alert for Pakistan, asking citizens to “reconsider travel” to the country. It asked its citizens not to travel to Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

In recent weeks, tensions between India and Pakistan have heightened, almost bringing two nuclear-armed neighbors to the brink of war. Even though the U.S. government is involved in war everywhere, it prioritizes the security of its own citizens.