Canada Was Aided By Information From ‘Five Eyes’ Nations To Connect India To Nijjar’s Murder: USA

According to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s public accusations of the Indian government’s potential involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh Canadian leader of the radical separatist group Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a staunch supporter of the Khalistan movement, information shared by members of an intelligence-sharing alliance was a factor, according to United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen.

The “Five Eyes” allies’ sharing information, according to US Ambassador David Cohen, “helped lead Canada to (make) the statements that the prime minister made.”

Late on Friday, CTV News made parts of Cohen’s remarks public. The network also announced that it will run the whole interview with the US ambassador on Sunday. About the pooled intelligence, nothing more was said.

The Associated Press was informed on Thursday by a Canadian source that the suspicion that India was responsible for the murder is supported by intelligence gathered through monitoring of Indian diplomats in Canada, including information from a significant ally, which he declined to name.

The nations of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States make form the “Five Eyes” cooperation for intelligence-sharing.

When Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh separatist, in June in a Vancouver suburb, the relationship between Canada and India hit its lowest point in recent memory. Top officials have been removed from both nations.

India, which has referred to the accusations as “absurd,” has also halted granting visas to Canadians and ordered Canada to scale down its diplomatic personnel.

Canada has not yet made the supporting documentation for Trudeau’s claims public.

Nijjar was born in India and acquired citizenship in Canada in 2007. Before he was shot dead in June outside the temple he oversaw in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, he had been sought for by India for years.

India has charged Nijjar with running his outlawed Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) organization on Canadian territory and participating actively in its finance and training. According to a dossier created by Indian intelligence services, the Khalistani terrorist also provided funding for terrorist activities in Punjab and other regions of India.

The dossier claims that Nijjar publicly engaged in separatist operations against India in Canada and set up training facilities where he instructed recruits from the Khalistani movement in the use of pistols, AK-47 assault weapons, and sniper rifles.

According to the report, Nijjar sent gunmen to India to conduct targeted assassinations and assaults against influential political and religious people.

The murder of Nijjar has led to a significant diplomatic dispute between India and Canada.