Canada officially acknowledges Khalistani terrorists behind Air India Kanishka bombing after four decades
In a significant shift after more than four decades, Canada’s intelligence agency has officially acknowledged that Canada-based Khalistani extremists were responsible for the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, commonly known as the Kanishka bombing.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) described the attack as a “heinous act of terror” and stated that the aircraft was destroyed by a bomb planted by Khalistani terrorists operating from Canadian soil.
CSIS calls Kanishka bombing a terrorist attack
Marking Canada’s National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism, CSIS paid tribute to the 329 victims of the tragedy.
“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 agency said in a public statement.
The acknowledgment is the first explicit admission by Canada’s intelligence agency identifying Canada-based Khalistani extremists as being behind the attack.
PM Mark Carney pays tribute
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also remembered the victims, describing the Kanishka bombing as the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.
“Forty-one years ago today, the bombing of Air India Flight 182 claimed 329 innocent lives, including 268 Canadians. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canada’s history,” Carney said, while reaffirming Canada’s commitment to combating violent extremism.
What happened to Air India Flight 182?
Air India Flight 182 was flying from Montreal to New Delhi via London on June 23, 1985, when a bomb concealed inside checked baggage exploded over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, around 45 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land at London’s Heathrow Airport.
All 329 passengers and crew members were killed. The victims included 268 Canadian citizens, most of them of Indian origin, and 24 Indian nationals. Rescue teams recovered only 131 bodies from the sea.
Canadian investigators later concluded that the bombing was orchestrated by Khalistani extremists in retaliation for Operation Blue Star, the Indian Army’s 1984 operation to remove armed militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Significance for India-Canada ties
The Kanishka bombing has remained one of the most sensitive issues in India-Canada relations, with New Delhi repeatedly expressing concerns over extremist activities originating from Canadian territory.
Canada’s formal acknowledgment comes amid efforts by both countries to rebuild diplomatic ties after relations deteriorated in recent years. Since Prime Minister Mark Carney assumed office, New Delhi and Ottawa have initiated steps to restore engagement and improve bilateral cooperation.
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
