Weeks after India withdrew its military personnel from the Maldives, two helicopters gifted by New Delhi are reportedly being regularly operated with Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) soldiers onboard, a Maldivian news portal reported on Tuesday.

President Mohamed Muizzu, who came to power last September with a pro-China stance, had promised to remove all Indian military personnel from his country. The last of the 88 personnel were repatriated by the May 10 deadline.

India had gifted two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft to the Maldives, which have been used extensively for medical evacuations and humanitarian missions. Following the withdrawal of military personnel, India replaced them with civilians to continue the operations of the three aviation platforms under an agreement with the Maldives.

"Indian military helicopters in the Maldives are regularly operated despite the removal of uniformed Indian military personnel based in the country. The helicopters are flown at least twice a week for maintenance of the aircraft," an airport worker told Adhadhu.com on the condition of anonymity.

The report comes in the wake of allegations by Maldivian Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon that Indian military helicopter pilots stationed in the Maldives carried out an unauthorized operation in 2019. This charge was dismissed by the Indian High Commission in the Maldives.

India has clarified that its aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated according to agreed procedures and with due authorization.

After the May 10 deadline for the withdrawal of Indian soldiers, Minister Maumoon admitted that the Maldives military still lacks pilots capable of operating the three aircraft donated by India.

At the Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 in Singapore last week, Maumoon reiterated President Muizzu's stance against the permanent presence of foreign military troops in the Maldives, despite establishing defence relations.

"The government's policies aim to enhance the capacity of the country's own defence forces and ensure internationally accepted standards in the region," the state-run PSM news channel quoted him as saying.

Adhadhu.com also reported that the Maldives government has introduced an air ambulance service and established a military Air Corps equipped with three drones from Turkey for surveillance of Maldivian territorial waters.

"Despite these new services making India's helicopters and Dornier aircraft redundant, the government has agreed to retain them in the Maldives. Civilian personnel from India have been brought in to operate the aircraft," the report added.

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