ISLAMABAD: Tajikistan asked India to withdraw its military personnel and equipment from the Ayni airbase last year, prompting New Delhi to close its only overseas air facility in Central Asia, Indian media reported this week.

According to the digital publication The Print on Tuesday, India was instructed to vacate the base in 2024, and the withdrawal process was completed earlier this year.

The Gissar Military Aerodrome (GMA), commonly known as the Ayni airbase after the nearby village, is located just west of Dushanbe and had been jointly administered by India and Tajikistan for nearly two decades. India is estimated to have spent close to $100 million on its development.

Despite the investment and political backing under the Vajpayee government, the airbase never became fully operational.

Reports said the facility remained largely idle due to Russian opposition, with Moscow reluctant to allow any other country to operate from the base. India did not maintain permanent air assets there, aside from two to three helicopters gifted to Tajikistan but operated by Indian Air Force personnel for humanitarian and relief missions.

The Print also noted that Tajikistan’s request for withdrawal came amid apparent pressure from Russia and China over the presence of foreign military personnel in the region.

The closure of the Ayni airbase reduces India’s strategic reach in Central Asia at a time when regional influence is increasingly shaped by China’s expanding presence and Russia’s renewed assertiveness, according to Zee News.

India had previously used the airbase during the evacuation of its citizens in 2021, after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.

Articles tagged with "withdrawl"

India pulls out from Ayni airbase after diplomatic request by Tajikistan: reports