2nd batch of Indian troops to leave this month: Mohamed Muizzu

Male, April 3

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said that Indian military personnel manning the second aviation platform would be withdrawn “within the current month” and reiterated that the entire process would be completed by May 10, a media report said here on Wednesday.

Muizzu’s statement comes three weeks after the first batch of over 25 Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives manning a helicopter gifted by India departed from the island nation after handing over the operations of the chopper to an Indian civilian crew as agreed ahead of the March 10 deadline. Eighty-eight Indian military personnel were operating two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft which were providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services in this archipelagic nation.

Following a high-level meeting on February 2, India agreed to replace its military personnel in the Maldives by May 10.