Canada Admits for First Time Pro-Khalistanis Bombed Air India 'Kanishka' in 1985
Investigators had earlier concluded that the bomb was placed in the aircraft’s luggage compartment on Canadian soil by pro-Khalistan militants.
New Delhi:Canada has reportedly for the first time in 41 years officially admitted that the bombing of the Air India "Kanishka" aircraft in June, 1985, that killed all 329 people on board was carried out by pro-Khalistan extremists, according to a statement by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Marking the anniversary of the attack, the agency said, “On June 23, 1985, a bomb planted by Canada-based Khalistani extremists destroyed the aircraft, killing everyone on board, most of them Canadians. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canada’s history and a defining moment for our national security community.”
The Air India Boeing 747, operating on the Montreal-London-Delhi-Mumbai route, exploded mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean near the Irish coast, killing 329 people, including 22 crew members and 307 passengers.
Investigators had earlier concluded that the bomb was placed in the aircraft’s luggage compartment on Canadian soil by pro-Khalistan militants.
The development comes amid longstanding concerns raised by India over the presence and activities of pro-Khalistan elements in Canada.