Smaller clashes between paramilitary gangs took place in Dushanbe in September 1997 as well. In February 1997, two United Nations vehicles were hijacked in broad daylight and their occupants taken hostage by the same group which took the French hostages in November 1997. To date, Americans have not been targeted, but bystanders have been hurt in some of these attacks. Because of this unpredictability, U.S. travelers should avoid demonstrations, crowds, and places where military personnel congregate. The U.S. Embassy recommends Americans remain inside during hours of darkness.
Security forces are visible in the capital and the southern half of the country.
U.S. citizens should check with the U.S. Embassy for current information before traveling outside of Dushanbe, and should observe strict security precautions while moving about, at their work sites, and at their homes. The situation in Leninabad Province, in the northern part of the country, and in Gorno Badakhshan, in the east has been generally quiet. Many trained medical personnel have left the country. Medical equipment and medicines are scarce, and significant disease outbreaks are possible due to population shifts and the breakdown in immunization activity. There have been outbreaks of typhoid in the Dushanbe area and in the south, and the risk of cholera and water-borne illnesses is high.