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State Department issues another worldwide travel caution to U.S. citizens

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning Thursday telling its citizens to avoid all travel to Albania.

"The Department of State warns against all travel to Albania because the overall security situation remains unstable. U.S. citizens are urged to consider their personal security situations, and if appropriate, to leave Albania," said a written statement.

"Given the possibility that the U.S. Embassy's personnel and facilities could be the target of a terrorist attack, on August 14, 1998, the Department of State ordered the departure of Embassy personnel in non-emergency positions and families of Embassy personnel, and later further reduced its staff," the warning continued.

Because of the reduction in staff, the U.S. embassy has suspended its normal operations and is offering only emergency services to U.S. citizens in Albania.

Americans in Albania are being told to avoid crowds and "exercise extreme caution at all times." Travel to the northeastern area of Albania and the area near the Kosovo border is "exceedingly dangerous," according to the State Department. "Even persons traveling to this area solely to render humanitarian assistance to refugees have been attacked by bandits," the warning said.

"Following incidents of violence in Tirana in September 1998, in the wake of the assassination of a political leader, the situation in Albania remains volatile and the possibility exists that there may be further incidents of violence," said the warning.

This warning supersedes a travel warning issued September 22, 1998 to update the security situation.