India Begins Withdrawing Troops From Maldives Amid Strained Ties
India has initiated the withdrawal of military personnel conducting surveillance operations in the Maldives following an order from the new pro-China president, leading to strained relations between the two nations, as reported by local media on Tuesday.
The Mihaaru newspaper revealed that 25 Indian troops, stationed in the southern.
most atoll of Addu, have departed from the archipelago ahead of the agreed-upon start date of March 10 for the withdrawal process, as mutually decided by both parties.
President Mohamed Muizzu, who assumed office in September, had pledged to remove Indian security personnel responsible for patrolling the extensive maritime border of the Maldives. After discussions with New Delhi, an agreement was reached to complete the withdrawal of 89 Indian troops and their support staff from the archipelago, consisting of 1,192 small coral islands, by May 10.
According to Mihaaru, the three Indian aircraft involved in the surveillance operations, comprising two helicopters and one fixed-wing plane, will now be operated by Indian civilian staff who have already arrived. While there has been no official confirmation from either Maldivian or Indian authorities, Mihaaru cited the Maldivian National Defence Force as confirming the commencement of the Indian troop withdrawal.
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