India completes troop withdrawal from Maldives: Indian FM spokesperson

NEW DELHI, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randir Jaiswal on Friday confirmed that all Indian troops previously stationed across three platforms in the Maldives have been redeployed back to India and replaced by technical civilian personnel.

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu pledged to withdraw all foreign troops after assuming office in November 2023. India agreed to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives by May 10 after a series of constructive meetings and dialogues between the two countries.

The Maldives government previously announced that there were 89 Indian soldiers and support staff in the country, primarily engaged in maintenance work, positioned across three regions in the Maldives.

Later that day, the chief spokesperson at the Maldivian President's Office Heena Waleed also confirmed that all Indian troops have been withdrawn.