It’s a blatant lie to claim that Al-Qaeda has a base in Maldives-Zuhair
No Al-Qaeda operations in Maldives-MNDF

Press Secretary of the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuhair has said that the claims made over some of the international media that Maldives has an Al-Qaeda base are baseless and that it is a blatant lie.

Speaking to Miadhu Daily, Press Secretary Zuhair said that Maldives always works for the protection of human rights and promotion of peace. He said that Maldives will never support any form of violence and violation of human rights.

In response to the claims made by the “The Island” online newspaper of neighbouring Sri Lanka, on March 10, 2011 that “Al-Qaeda, which has set up base in the Maldives, has links to the Somali militant outfit al Shabab”, Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) said that there are no bases of Al-Qaeda in any of the islands of Maldives.

Media Coordinator of MNDF, Major Abdurraheem said that MNDF has not received any information on any operations of Al-Qaeda in Maldives nor of any Al-Qaeda bases in any part of the country.

Major Abdurraheem said that MNDF has good relations with the intelligence agencies of the neighbouring countries and MNDF has not received any information on an Al-Qaeda base in Maldives. He expressed concern that a newspaper of a good neighbouring country such as Sri Lanka has made such a claim that threatens the security and safety of Maldives.

MNDF Media Coordinator also said that if the newspaper provided ample evidence on the location of this alleged Al-Qaeda base, MNDF will not delay in investigating that area.

Rebutting the claims, Major Abdurraheem said that MNDF has not received any information on any terrorists in Maldives who has links with al-Shabab terrorist organisation of Somalia. He said that there are no terrorist operations in the Maldivian seas.

Furthermore, Major Abdurraheem said that MNDF has conducted full aerial surveillance operations of the Maldivian seas with the help of Indian Air Force. He added that they found no signs of any such terrorist activities.

Maldives Police Service said that they have not received any information of any base operated by either Maldivians or foreigners as claimed by The Island.