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​​India Withdraws First Group of Military Personnel From Maldives

India withdrew the first group of military personnel from Gan of Addu Atoll, marking the start of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's pledge to remove foreign troops from the Maldives. The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) confirmed the departure after the personnel handed over duties to Indian civilian operators. The first batch of 26 civilian operators arrived on 26 February to manage search and rescue and humanitarian aircraft. This is part of a larger agreement to replace military personnel with civilians across three aviation platforms by 10 May 2024. The move has sparked political debate over sovereignty and the nature of the replacements.