India building intelligence bases in Indian Ocean: Report

Ground Report | New Delhi: India building intelligence bases; Satellite images say two naval jetties and a large airstrip are being built on the Mauritian island of Agalega. Al Jazeera has been told by some military experts that it is almost certain that these constructions are for military use.

India building intelligence bases

By the way, similar reports came in 2018, and then both India and Mauritius denied the construction being linked to military use and said that it is for the needs of the people living on the island. About 300 people live on this island, located about 1,100 km from the mainland of Mauritius.

India has increased its activities and reach in the Indian and Pacific Oceans in recent times. A day earlier there was news that India is sending its naval task force to the South China Sea. Apart from this, its military contact with Australia is also increasing continuously.

Experts believe that there is increasing concern in the countries of the Pacific region about China's increasing activities in the Indian and the Pacific Ocean, so they want to send a signal to it.

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Dr. Pradeep Taneja, who teaches at Melbourne University, an expert on China affairs, says, "This means that if China's activities continue to increase and China's ships and submarines will come closer to India's neighboring countries, especially South Asian countries, then India has to think why China is increasing its military relations with these countries so much.

India is also increasing relations

In the last few years, India has increased its military relations with many countries in the Pacific region. The most prominent of these is Australia, with which India's military exercises and other exchanges have accelerated significantly.

This year, India has also been called as an observer in Australia's highly prestigious military exercise Talisman Sabre, among other countries. Australia has also expressed such a desire that India should also participate in the 2023 Talisman Saber exercise.

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Last year, India invited Australia to its military exercise Malabar, which took place almost two decades later. In September last year, there was a strategic dialogue between the Prime Ministers of India and Australia, after which the Australia India Strategic Partnership Treaty was signed, in which military relations were given an important place.

Regular military exchanges between the two countries have also increased in the last few years. Ships and officials from both countries visit regularly. Recently, many senior officers of the Indian Army have visited Australia.

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