'I had to go through all this only because I am a woman,' a Kerala travel vlogger said while recounting what she described as a frightening encounter with local authorities in Afghanistan’s Bamyan.

The woman, who runs the Facebook page Backpacker Arunima, claimed in a fresh social media post that authorities in Bamyan threatened to arrest her for travelling alone, citing a law under which, according to her account, women cannot travel without a male companion or guide.

The vlogger said she had already faced difficulties earlier in her journey after authorities in Jalalabad allegedly refused to grant her a permit because she was travelling alone.

According to her account, she reached Bamyan at around 7 pm, where authorities stopped and questioned her about her passport, visa and permit.

The situation became more alarming when she was allegedly told that she had violated the country’s law and could be arrested.

Frightened by the prospect of being detained, the vlogger contacted a man who had previously helped her travel to Bamyan.

She said he intervened and spoke to the authorities on her behalf.

She claimed the authorities said she needed a permit and to travel with a guide.

After discussions, she said she was eventually allowed to continue her journey to the next country.

The incident left the vlogger visibly shaken. She said she feared that something could happen to her and subsequently posted an Instagram story in the hope that someone would come to her assistance.

'I am in trouble in Afghanistan. I am in Bamyan,' she had written in an earlier post while seeking help to establish contact with the Indian embassy.

That post also contained what she described as a translation of an official communication from local authorities.

According to the translation shared by her, she had been arrested by the 'Mujahideen'.

In her latest account, the vlogger said she was preparing to travel approximately 500 kilometres towards the Uzbekistan border and expected to encounter several checkpoints along the route.

The prospect of having to pass through multiple checkpoints added to her concerns, she indicated.

The woman's account comes after her earlier claim that she had been arrested by the 'Mujahideen' in Afghanistan. However, PTI could not independently verify her claims.

Her latest social media posts have brought renewed attention to the challenges she says she faced as a woman travelling alone through Afghanistan, particularly over permits, male accompaniment and interactions with local authorities.