Breaking news
Canadian Special Forces helped the Kurdish Forces during combat against Islamic State fighters 11812152.
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Defence & Security News - Canada
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| Canadian Special Forces helped the Kurdish Forces during combat against Islamic State fighters. | |||
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A contingent of Canada's special forces were thrown into a day-long battle alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters as the Islamic State launched its biggest offensive in Iraq since western troops arrived in the region 18 months ago.
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 Canadian Special Forces during training in Jordan as part of Eager Lion 2015 exercise. |
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The Canadian Department of National Defense announced the news at a hastily-called news conference on Thursday, December 17, 2015.
Major-Gen. Charles Lamarre said Islamic State forces launched a “fairly concentrated and well co-ordinated attack” on Wednesday on the Kurdish lines where Canadian special forces are located. "The attackers employed indirect artillery fire, suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, and ground troops in an attempt to break through the KSF [Kurdish Security Forces] defensive line," Major-General Chuck Lamarre told media. There were no Canadian casualties, said Lamarre, director of staff for the Canadian Forces Strategic Joint Staff. A number of Kurdish soldiers were killed or wounded. The Canadian task group there has been made up of soldiers from the Ottawa-based Joint Task Force 2 counter-terrorism unit as well as the Canadian Special Operations Regiment from Petawawa. Canadian CF-18s fighter aircraft have dropped more than 500 bombs over the past year on ISIL targets, according to the Canadian military. The Canadian Forces entered the war in October 2014 and dropped its first bombs on Nov. 2, 2014. |
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