Omar Abdullah Condemns Israeli Strikes, Calls for Kashmiri Student Safety

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday appealed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging the Indian government to prioritize the safety of Kashmiri students currently stranded in Iran. This comes in the wake of Israel's airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites, prompting fears for the students' safety.

Abdullah expressed concern over Western powers' silence on Israel's actions, contrasting it with their stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He criticized Israel's attack as unjustified, likening it to Russia's actions in Ukraine, and emphasized the economic and societal impact this could have on India.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Operation Rising Lion had successfully targeted Iran's key nuclear facilities and ballistic missile programs. He justified the military operation as a necessary step to counter what he described as an existential threat from Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions.

(With inputs from agencies.)