Indian soldiers fully withdrawn from Maldives, did not carry weapons while here: Minister

All 75 Indian soldiers previously stationed in the Maldives have now been repatriated, Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon said during today’s Parliament sitting.

He said that none of the Indian personnel were armed while present in the country.

Responding to questions from Parliament members, Minister Ghassan stated the withdrawal of Indian soldiers was conducted in alignment with the close diplomatic relationship between Maldives and India.

The 75 Indian military personnel had been deployed across three locations; 25 in Haa Dhaalu Hanimaadhoo, 25 in Laamu Kaddhoo, and 25 in Seenu Gan.

Their presence had been a topic of considerable public and political interest, particularly during last year’s presidential election.

Minister Ghassan said that no foreign military personnel will be stationed in Maldives.

“The presence of another country's military could undermine our sovereignty. That situation has now changed,” he said.

The two helicopters and Dornier aircraft previously operated by Indian soldiers are now being flown by civilian personnel. These arrangements follow the terms of an agreement between the two countries.

Under that agreement, the deployment of Indian civilians to Kaddhoo and Gan expired in February this year. The term for civilians in Hanimaadhoo is set to expire in February 2026.

These timelines were initially announced by former Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer during a press conference at the President’s Office on May 11 last year.

However, Minister Ghassan clarified that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has not stated the agreement is void. Instead, it continues within the framework of Maldives-India bilateral cooperation.

Although President Muizzu had pledged during his campaign to train Maldivian personnel to operate the Indian-donated aircraft, Minister Ghassan confirmed that, to date, no pilots from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) have been trained for this purpose.

The withdrawal of Indian troops was a central campaign promise of President Muizzu.