New York: As diplomatic relations between India and Canada continue to plummet over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a media report said that the US provided Canada with intelligence on the Khalistani terrorist’s murder in the Canadian province of British Columbia in June.
According to The New York Times (NYT) report, citing Western allied officials, Canada intercepted communications that were more definitive on India’s alleged involvement in the murder.
An American diplomat in Canada earlier confirmed there was “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners” — an intelligence alliance which includes the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — after which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the stunning claim that there was a “potential link” between Indian government agents and Nijjar’s killing.
“In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved,” the NYT reported quoting unnamed allied officials.
Allied officials, however, had no idea about the plot or any evidence of India’s involvement until Nijjar was killed, the article said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that India should work with Canada in the Nijjar murder probe.
“We want to see accountability,” he added.
Nijjar, a designated terrorist wanted by India since 2020, was shot dead by two unidentified men in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
