Withdrawal of India’s troops from Maldives begins
India has finally started withdrawing its troops from the Maldives after a major strain in diplomatic relations. This troop withdrawal is ongoing under the previous agreement.
On Tuesday (March 12), the Indian media outlet NDTV reported the information with reference to Mahiru, a local media outlet in Maldives.
In September 2023, Mohammed Muijju, who is known as pro-China, was elected as the President of Maldives. After assuming power, he announced the expulsion of Indian troops from the Maldives. There is a lot of fuss between the two countries on this issue. Later, in the light of the agreement between the two countries, India agreed to withdraw its troops from the Maldives. This army withdrawal was supposed to start from March 10.
According to Mahiru, 25 Indian soldiers deployed in Addu Islands of Maldives have already left for India. This archipelago is located in the southernmost part of Maldives. Civilian Indians will now operate one Indian aircraft and two helicopters remaining in the Maldives after the change of troops. They have already reached Maldives.
New Delhi has agreed to complete the withdrawal of 89 Indian troops and their support personnel from the Maldives, a country comprising 1,922 tiny coral islands, by May 10.
However, no official statement has been made by the Government of India or Maldives in this regard. However, the Mahiru newspaper reported that the matter was confirmed by the National Defense Force of Maldives.
Maldives signed a military assistance agreement with China last week.
The Ministry of Defense of Maldives said the agreement with China is to enhance bilateral relations and China will train Maldivian personnel under the agreement.
India is suspicious of China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in the Maldives as well as in neighboring Sri Lanka