Maldives defence chief Wednesday urged security forces to be alert to defend the country against enemies hiding in plain sight.
Speaking during the official ceremony to mark Victory Day -- the day that a terrorist group from Sri Lanka attacked the Maldives government in 1988, chief of defence force major general Ahmed Shiyam said the country's situation, 28 years since the attack had not changed.
"The armed forces and the police must always be alert to a repeat of such an attack," Shiyam said.
A group of locals aided by armed mercenaries of a Tamil secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) had attempted to overthrow president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's government.
Eighty Tamil mercenaries landed on capital Male on November 3, 1988, and quickly took over the airport. However, they were caught in a shoot out with military forces in Male’ and were forced to retreat after India deployed paratroopers to the Maldives on Gayoom’s request.
Nineteen Maldivians were killed in the gun fire.
In clear reference to the locals involved in the attack, the defence chief insisted that the security forces must remain vigilant against such traitors.
However, Shiyam explained that such traitors would no longer be armed with weapons but would look to use more contemporary methods.
Shiyam's warning comes in the wake of ever increasing opposition efforts to remove incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom from office.
BBC in August had reported an 'imminent plot' to overthrow the government.
According to the BBC report, details of what was being planned remained obscure but the government had described it as a “formal attempt at ‘legally’ overthrowing the government”.
The defence chief urged the security forces to remain steadfast and true to their oaths.
"There are clear attempts to create discord within our ranks. We have recently seen several of our fellow officers lose their way. We must not be like them," Shiyam added.
