"Five Eyes Alliance: U.S. Intelligence Supports Canada in Sikh Leader's Killing Investigation"

American intelligence agencies provided assistance to Canada in the investigation of the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but it was Canadian officials who intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada that definitively linked India to the plot. The United States did not learn about the plot or evidence of India's involvement until after Nijjar was killed. The disclosure of U.S. intelligence involvement risks complicating diplomatic relations between Canada and India, as the United States seeks to develop closer ties with India. The accusation has led to a diplomatic rift between Ottawa and New Delhi, with both countries expelling each other's intelligence officers.