Indian aircraft unused in search operation for missing youth
MNDF is only using an aircraft from the Maldivian Aviation Academy, a flight school operating at Gan airport in Addu, for the ongoing search operation.
Search for a missing youth is being conducted by air and sea, with no use of the aircraft deputed by India for use in search and rescue operations in Maldives.
Mohamed Naeesh, 18, went missing after he went to catch lobsters with two of his friends in the southern Addu atoll Thursday evening.
In the past, the army used either the two helicopters or the Dornier aircraft deputed by India in such search and rescue operations. However, the army is using an aircraft from the Maldivian Aviation Academy, a flight school operating at Gan airport in Addu, for the ongoing search operation.
The defence ministry made the announcement in a post on X on Friday.
A spokesperson for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) told Atoll Times on Friday that the Maldivian Aviation Academy's training aircraft is the only one used in the operation. When asked if any Indian aircraft were used in the operation, he said no.
However, he did not disclose the reason.
Search operation to find Naeesh:
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The operation is being conducted by the Coast Guard Fourth Squadron, MNDF Southern Area Command
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23.46 square nautical miles by air searched so far
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490 square nautical miles by sea search so far
A person who spoke to Atoll Times from Addu said that Naeesh and two other youths went fishing for lobsters around 7pm. They went down to the sea from the Feydhoo Fasgandu area off the Gan airport runway, he said.
The weather suddenly turned bad while they were looking for lobsters. Naeesh disappeared while the remaining two reached the Feydhoo at around 10am.
President Mohamed Muizzu won the presidential election in September, ousting Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in a runoff after promising to remove a small Indian military presence of some 77 personnel.
The new government, which came to power on November 17, has formally requested India to remove its troops, with President Muizzu saying that India has agreed to withdraw the troops.
Maldives has also given notice to India to not renew a hydrography agreement signed by the previous government, giving access to India to study and chart the island nation's seabed.
The agreement will terminate when it expires on June 4, 2024, the government has said.
