The Maldivian Coast Guard and Indian Navy have commenced a joint operation to patrol and protect the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of the Maldives.
An official of Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) confirmed on Monday that patrols have begun. However, he did not disclose the specific areas being patrolled nor the duration of the operation.
This is part of a series of joint operations conducted between the armed forces of the two South Asian neighbours.
A similar patrol of the Maldives was conducted last month as well.
The new operation comes amidst drifting ties between the Maldives and India. Tensions peaked between the two allies when India criticised the government of President Yameen over the state of emergency enforced in early February. Recently, top officials of both nations have also raised concerns over visas and work permits being denied to their nationals living in the two countries.
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