India to open second naval base in Lakshadweep days before beginning to recall troops from Maldives

News Snapshot:

The Indian Navy is stepping up its presence in the Indian Ocean on “strategically important” islands near the Maldives, reported AFP on Sunday. The Indian Navy is set to open a new base – INS Jatayu – near the Maldives on March 6, on the Lakshadweep island of Minicoy, just days before New Delhi starts withdrawing its troops from the country. The new base will augment India’s “operational surveillance” of the region, according to a statement issued by the Indian Navy on Saturday. INS Jatayu will be located about 258 kms closer to the Maldives than the Indian Navy’s existing...