Canada special forces clash with IS in Iraq

 

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Canadian special forces exchanged gunfire with Islamic State fighters in Iraq in recent days, in the first confirmed ground battle between Western troops and IS, a senior officer said Monday.

The Canadians came under mortar and machine gun fire while training Iraqi troops near front lines and shot back in what Canadian special forces commander Brigadier General Michael Rouleau described as self-defense, killing the IS fighters.

Rouleau said the melee had taken place in the previous seven days and was “the first time we’ve taken fire and returned fire” in Iraq, where the extremists have overrun large areas.

“My troops had completed a planning session with senior Iraqi leaders several kilometers behind the front lines,” Rouleau told a regular media briefing on the conflict.

“When they moved forward to confirm the planning at the front lines in order to visualize what they had discussed over a map, they came under immediate and effective mortar and machine gun fire.”

The general said the Canadians used sniper fire to “neutralize both threats” and there were no Canadian injuries.

The United States has previously reported having launched an unsuccessful hostage-rescue operation against the IS group in neighboring Syria, but Western forces have not officially engaged in ground combat.

A US-led international coalition has been carrying out air raids on IS extremists in Iraq and Syria since last year. Canada is only involved in Iraq operations. /End/