The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) has introduced two special military programs for the Maldives and signed an agreement with the Defence Ministry to conduct training programs.

Under the agreement, the IMCTC will provide military and technical training, share experiences and build joint capabilities to deal with threats.

The "Competence" and "Cyber" programs for the Maldives mark an important milestone in the path of cooperation with the country, the IMCTC stated.

IMCTC Secretary General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi and Home Minister Ali Ihusaan.

"This paves the way for a new phase of joint efforts in training, development and capacity building that consequently facilitates regional security and strengthens national preparedness in combating terrorism and all forms of extremism," the IMCTC said.

The Competence program focuses on strengthening the military readiness of the Maldivian Navy. This includes, in particular, information about naval mines.

The program includes special courses explaining the types of naval mines, their mechanisms, safe demining methods, and extensive practical training on mine detection, mine clearance and underwater operations using modern equipment and advanced technologies.

The “Cyber” program aims to strengthen infrastructure security by deploying robust cyber systems in the country through specialised programs on digital protection, threat detection, cyber attack, and response management, IMCTC said.

Home Minister Ali Ihusaan and Islamic Minister Mohamed Shaheem, IMCTC Secretary General Major General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi, civilian and military officials and diplomats attended the launch ceremony.

The ceremony held at Barcelo Nasandhura.

At the ceremony held on Monday, IMCTC Secretary General Al-Moghedi said the relationship between the Maldives and the organisation demonstrates the strength in combating terrorism and all forms of extremism.

Praising the assistance being provided by IMCTC to the Maldives, Minister Ihusaan said the two programs launched yesterday included much-needed military and digital capability development.