Canada extend its combat mission against Islamic State group with air strikes in Syria

Defence & Security News - Canada
 
Canada extend its combat mission against Islamic State group with air strikes in Syria.
Canada's prime minister will announce a one-year extension of its military mission against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and expand it to include air strikes on targets in Syria, according to a a senior official.
     
Canada's prime minister will announce a one-year extension of its military mission against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and expand it to include air strikes on targets in Syria, according to a a senior official. Kuwait. 9 November 2014 – A Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 fighter jet in Kuwait taxis to takeoff for a morning mission over Iraq during Operation IMPACT. (Photo IS2014-7535-02 by Canadian Forces Combat Camera, DND)
     
"Continuing to degrade ISIL will require striking its operations and infrastructure where they are located, including in Syria," says the motion, which was seen by the AP news agency.

Although the Canadian mission does not need parliamentary approval, the government is submitting it to a vote to show consensus.

Canadian air strikes have so far been limited to Iraq where the country has sent 69 special forces soldiers to train Kurdish peshmerga soldiers.

The Canadians' efforts complement those of the US, which has conducted the vast majority of the air strikes against ISIL.

Canada will be the first NATO country, other than the US, to conduct air strikes in Syria. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE have also carried out air strikes in Syria.

Canada has launched Operation IMPACT to contribute to the Middle East Stabilization Force (MESF) – the multinational coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Republic of Iraq.

As of 21 March 2015, Air Task Force-Iraq conducted 656 sorties:
 
- CF-188 Hornet fighters conducted 428 sorties;
- CC-150T Polaris aerial refueller conducted 108 sorties, delivering some 6,332,000 pounds of fuel to coalition aircraft; and
- CP-140 Aurora aircraft conducted 120 reconnaissance missions.