Indian police said they killed three Sikh separatists who were fighting for a separate homeland called “Khalistan.”
The Khalistan movement has caused tension, especially after Indian intelligence was linked to the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada and an assassination attempt in the US—allegations India denied.
The three separatists were killed in a gun battle in Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh, after being surrounded by police. They were suspected of being involved in a grenade attack on a police station in Punjab earlier this month.
Pilibhit police chief Avinash Pandey said the men fired heavily at officers, and in the return fire, all three were critically injured and later died in the hospital. Police recovered assault rifles, pistols, and ammunition from the scene.
The men were part of the Khalistan Zindabad Force, a separatist group. The Khalistan movement began in the 1940s and has been linked to violent events, including the assassination of an Indian prime minister and a plane bombing.
The issue remains controversial, with India pushing for stronger action against the banned Khalistan movement, labeling its leaders as “terrorists.”
