MALE: Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer on Saturday said 76 Indian military personnel were replaced by civilian employees of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited which manufactured the helicopters gifted by India, thus also ending the suspense over the exact number of those repatriated.
The Indian military personnel, stationed in the Maldives to operate two platforms for helicopters and a Dornier aircraft used primarily for medical evacuations, were repatriated by Friday, as per the May 10 deadline set following an agreement between the two countries in February in New Delhi.
That agreement was a result of the demand of pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu made within hours of his assuming office in November.
Local media reports on Saturday quoted Zameer addressing a press conference a day after he returned from his first official visit to India, detailing the presence of Indian soldiers stationed in Hanimaadhoo, Kadhdhoo and Gan.
“As many as 26 soldiers withdrew from Gan between March 7 and 9. The final batch of 13 soldiers withdrew from Kadhdhoo on Thursday,” a news portal quoted Zameer as saying.
The Maldivian Government had previously said documents showed there were 89 Indian soldiers in the Maldives to operate two military helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, it added.
Zameer said it was the civilian employees of the company that manufactured the Indian-gifted helicopters Hindustan Aeronautics Limited that have come to replace the Indian military personnel.