The story of the blast in Air India Kanishka in 1985, in which 329 people died in mid-air, Canada now accepts the hand of Khalistanis.

After nearly four decades, Canada has officially admitted for the first time that Khalistanis operating in Canada were behind the horrific bomb blast on Air India Flight 182 (Kanishka) in 1985. All 329 passengers and crew members on board the plane were killed in this attack. This incident is still considered the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in an official message released on National Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism described the attack as “a heinous act of terrorism” and explicitly acknowledged for the first time that the plane was hit by a bomb planted by Khalistani militants based in Canada.

What is the statement of CSIS?

Canada’s security intelligence agency said in its official Facebook post “On the occasion of National Remembrance Day for the Victims of Terrorism, CSIS remembers the 329 people aboard Air India Flight 182 who lost their lives in a heinous terrorist attack. On June 23, 1985, a bomb planted by Canada-based Khalistani extremists destroyed the plane, killing all on board, the majority of whom were Canadian citizens. This is a landmark in Canadian history. “This is the deadliest terrorist attack in America and a defining moment for our national security community.”

What did PM Mark Carney say?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also paid tribute to the victims on the 41st anniversary of the tragedy, saying, “41 years ago today, the bombing of Air India Flight 182 took the lives of 329 innocent people, including 268 Canadian citizens. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.”

What was Air India Kanishka bomb blast?

On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, also known as ‘Kanishka’, was en route from Montreal to New Delhi via London. During the trip, a bomb hidden in a suitcase on board the plane exploded over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland. The explosion occurred about 45 minutes before the plane reached London’s Heathrow Airport. The explosion was so severe that all 329 people on board the plane died. The dead included 268 Canadian citizens, 24 Indian citizens and travelers from other countries. Relief and rescue teams could recover only 131 bodies from the sea.

What was revealed in the investigation?

Canadian investigative agencies concluded that the attack was in retaliation for Operation Blue Star. Operation Blue Star was a military operation conducted by the Indian Army in 1984 to flush out armed terrorists from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. Investigation also revealed that the explosive was kept in a suitcase which was checked-in in the name of a passenger who had never traveled by plane.