In March 2000, the government began a campaign to disarm various factional militias operating in Dushanbe. To date, these attacks have not targeted Americans, but other innocent bystanders have been injured in some of these attacks. Because of this unpredictability, U.S. travelers should avoid demonstrations, crowds, and places where military personnel congregate. Americans should avoid, in particular, the Green Market in Dushanbe because it has been the site of numerous skirmishes that have killed or injured a number of bystanders. Americans should remain inside during hours of darkness.
Security forces have a strong presence in the capital and the southern half of the country.
U.S. citizens should check with the U.S. Embassy in Almaty for current information before traveling outside Dushanbe, and they 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. Security personnel may at times place foreign visitors under surveillance. Hotel rooms, telephones and fax machines may be monitored, and personal possessions in hotel rooms may be searched. Taking photographs of anything that could be perceived as being of military or security interest may result in problems with the authorities.