India asks citizens to leave Lebanon amid Israeli attacks

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – India has asked its nationals to leave Lebanon over Israeli attacks, according to a fresh travel advisory.

“In view of the recent developments and escalations in the region, Indian nationals are strongly advised against traveling to Lebanon till further notice,” the Indian Embassy in the Lebanon's capital Beirut said in a statement late Wednesday.

It also said all Indian nationals already in Lebanon are also strongly advised to leave Lebanon.

“Those who remain for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Beirut ..,” it added.

In August, the Indian government issued an advisory for its citizens in Lebanon as well.

The fresh advisory came as the regional tension has escalated amid Israel’s deadly airstrikes on Lebanon since early Monday that have killed nearly 610 people and injured more than 2,000, according to Lebanese health authorities.

The Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,500 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.