Hardeep Singh Nijjar, chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and one of India’s most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada, officials here said on Monday.

Two unidentified gunmen opened fire at Nijjar, 45, as he was preparing to leave in his vehicle from the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Surrey, in the western Canadian province of British Columbia around 6am IST on Monday, local reports claimed.

Police officers provided medical assistance until paramedics arrived, but the man died of his injuries at the spot, they said, adding no arrests have been made and the police have not released any suspect descriptions.

According to the officials, when his body was being moved from the spot by the Canadian police, a group of Sikhs raised pro-Khalistan and anti-India slogans.

The Gurdwara was being presided by Nijjar himself for the past four years, giving rise to speculation that funds from the shrine were being embezzled for funding terror activities in Punjab.

Canada-based Nijjar was designated a “terrorist” by India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in July 2020 and his property in the country was attached by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in September 2020.

Interpol Red Corner Notice was also issued against him in 2016. The local police of Surrey had also put Nijjar under house arrest temporarily in 2018 on suspicion of his terror involvement but he was released later.

The killing is the latest instance of terror kingpins being targeted outside India. In May, another wanted Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while he was out for a morning walk near his residence in Lahore, the provincial capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province.

Panjwar, 63, was heading the Khalistan Commando Force-Panjwar group and was also designated as a terrorist by India under the UAPA in July 2020.