Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan issued a press release Tuesday saying an extension of the seven-year-old marketing campaign, referred to as Operation Affect.
The worldwide effort to shore up the army capability of Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon will see the involvement of Canadian troops for yet one more 12 months.
Though the federal government has authorization to deploy up 850 troopers in help of the anti-terrorism mission, Canada’s present contribution within the coming 12 months will likely be considerably smaller, involving 17 troops serving with NATO in an advisory capability. NATO helps to rebuild the nation’s defence ministry and its potential to face as much as ISIS militants.
Two Canadian C-130J transport planes and a headquarters in Kuwait can even present ongoing help to the anti-ISIS coalition.
Canada’s contribution to the mission was considerably bigger in earlier years, when it led the NATO coaching mission in Baghdad and supplied safety for instructors from different nations.
Denmark took over command of the alliance mission in November of final 12 months.
The Canadian army has separate coaching missions in Jordan and Lebanon involving a handful of personnel.
A Canadian particular forces contingent primarily based in Erbil in northern Iraq was conducting counter-terrorism coaching — its standing is unclear. The Division of Nationwide Defence not often discusses particular forces operations.
Operation Affect was launched by the previous Conservative authorities in 2014 after ISIS militants swept out of the chaos of the Syrian civil struggle and proceeded to seize an unlimited swath of territory in neighbouring Iraq.
The U.S. organized a worldwide coalition to evict the extremists from each nations, utilizing a mix of Iraqi and Kurdish forces and Western particular forces.
Though Canadian commandos by no means served in Syria, they had been instrumental in aiding Kurdish forces with the recapture of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest metropolis.
ISIS was largely defeated on the battlefield over three and a half years in the past, however remnants of the extremist group proceed to conduct low-level terror campaigns all through the area.
“Canada will stay a dependable associate in multinational operations around the globe,” Sajjan mentioned.
“By renewing Operation IMPACT, we’re reinforcing Canada’s help to our NATO Allies and our companions within the International Coalition, and persevering with our vital work within the Center East.”
