India to open ‘strategic base’ close to Maldives to prevent piracy and drugs supply

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Follow us on Image Source : PTI Representational Image New Delhi: India has announced to bolster its military presence near Maldives-- a move which has widely been apprehended as a counterstep to the archipelago President's inclination towards China. The Indian Navy's major announcement came merely days before Male had set a deadline for Indian troops to return to their country. In a statement released on Saturday, the Indian Navy said it is bolstering forces on "strategically important" islands close to the Maldives. The new base will be opened on March 6 on Lakshadweep islands. It said it would turn an...