India navy to open strategic base near Maldives

Relations between India and the Maldives have soured since pro-ChinaPresident Mohamed Muizzu won elections last year after promising to expelIndian forces.
India is suspicious of China's growing presence in the archipelago nation,which straddles key east-west international shipping routes, and the new basewill extend New Delhi's "operational surveillance" of the area, the navy saidin a statement late Saturday.
Muizzu has asked India to withdraw 89 security personnel based in theMaldives to operate reconnaissance aircraft, with the first batch due toleave by March 10 and all to depart within two months.
The new base, opening March 6 on India's Lakshadweep islands, will turn anexisting small detachment into an "independent naval unit", according to thenavy's statement.
India's Lakshadweep islands lie about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of theMaldives, with the new naval base on the island of Minicoy situated at theirclosest point.
India's navy already has a base on the Lakshadweep island of Kavaratti, butthe new base will be about 258 kilometres (160 miles) closer to the Maldives, reports BSS.
"Minicoy is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep which straddles the vitalsea lines of communications," the navy said.
It said the base will boost anti-piracy and anti-narcotic operations, and waspart of a policy to "incrementally augment security infrastructure at thestrategically important" islands.