Troops spotted in airport were Japanese soldiers in transit

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has announced today that the video of foreign troops circulating on social media are of Japanese soldiers who were transiting in the Maldives.

The video shows a large number of foreign soldiers in military uniform waiting on the jetty area of Velana International Airport (VIA).

Speaking to Mihaaru News, an MNDF media official clarified that these were Japanese military officials who had sought the necessary permissions before transiting in the country. He noted that they were not here to attend any local trainings.

"They are members of the Japanese Self Defense Force who only arrived here on transit," the official said.

The video was widely circulated on social media, along with claims from some that these were Chinese troops arriving in the Maldives.

The presence of foreign military in the country is one of the more contentious issues that arose during the recently concluded presidential election. One of the main pledges of the newly elected Progressive Party of Maldives/ People's National Congress (PPM/PNC) is to remove Indian military presence from the Maldives.