Canadian air strikes in Iraq

Today, the commander of the overseas mission which is called ‘Operation Impact’ gave an update on Canada’s progress in the fight against ISIS.

Lieutenant General Jonathan Vance says ISIS’s intent to capture bagdad remains an objective and that it will continue to try and conduct attacks in that city. In Northern Syria, the group is continuing to put pressure on Kobani where recently additional Kurdish fighters joined the battle to fight ISIS. He says there have been heavy ISIS casualties there with hundreds of air strikes taking place since September. Canadian Forces are now operating as part of the Middle East stabilization force, and commander Vance says our country’s first airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq have been extremely successful.

Lt.-General Jonathan Vance, Commander of Canadian Joint Operations: “ISIL was using the heavy engineering equipment to interfere with the flow of the dam. Our forces worked with the conbined air forces operations centre, the CAOC, and coalition targeting assets during the approximate four hour flight. 500 pound laser guided bombs destroyed and damaged the heavy engineering equipment identified, and removed them from further employment. The destructionof ISIL’s equipment, in this case, means that they will not be able to use the Euphrates River against the population in Anbar Province. The attacks also ensured the removal of heavy equipment necessary to develop those defensive positions that I told you about.”

To date, surveillance aircraft have conducted five reconnaisance missions and there are roughly 600 Canadian Armed Forces members supporting air operations as well as advise and assist operations over there. Commander Vance says once the mission is complete, then the total cost will be provided.