Taiwan raises travel alert for India-Pakistan border, advises citizens to leave

Taipei, May 8 (CNA) The Taiwan government on Wednesday raised its travel warning for the India-Pakistan border to the highest level, advising Taiwanese citizens to leave that area as soon as possible, in light of the escalating conflict between the two countries.

The red travel alert was issued for the border area one year after the foreign ministry's Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) issued a "yellow" alert for India, warning people to exercise caution and reconsider travel plans. It also cautioned Taiwanese citizens already in India to stay alert and avoid lingering in busy public spaces.

According to the ministry, the yellow alert remains in place for India, while the warning for the India-Pakistan border has been raised to red, given that the ongoing conflict between the two countries shows no signs of easing anytime soon.

In addition, India has closed a number of its airports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said, advising Taiwanese citizens to leave the border area as soon as possible.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated in recent weeks, following the death of 26 people -- most of them Indian tourists -- when gunmen in April stormed a scenic mountain area of Kashmir that is administered by India.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack, while Islamabad denied the claim.

On Wednesday, India launched retaliatory military strikes on Pakistan, saying it had targeted two militant groups and "terrorist infrastructure" during the operation, which lasted 25 minutes.

Pakistan gave a different account, saying civilians were killed and mosques were hit during the strike. It also said it had shot down five Indian Air Force jets.

Late Wednesday, when BOCA issued the red travel alert for the border area, the foreign ministry said that in case of emergency, Taiwanese citizens in India can call the Taiwan representative office in New Delhi on its emergency hotline +91-9810-642-658, its branch offices in Chennai (+91-96000-99511), or its Mumbai office (+91-8850842243).

Meanwhile, the families of Taiwanese citizens in India can contact MOFA by calling its toll-free phone number 0800-085-095 to seek urgent assistance for their relatives, the ministry said.

Under MOFA's four-color travel alert system, the lowest level is gray, followed by yellow, orange and red.