Canadian planes continue sorties against ISIS

Canadian planes have flown 68 combat missions over Iraq since joining U.S. led coalition air strikes in the fight against ISIS.

Joint task force commander Colonel Daniel Constable says there were likely ISIS casualties in Canada’s second air strike, but couldn’t provide an exact number. He says there were no civilian casualties, or collateral damage in the strike. The latest airstrike targeted an ISIS artillery that was being used to fight Iraqi security forces. Constable says ISIS has been on the defensive, and has been changing its tactics to avoid being detected a sign the mission has been successful, so far.

Colonel Daniel Constable: “The fact that they’re overstretched in their lines of supply. The fact that they have started to not be able to move in large numbers for fear of exposure, as larger targets are easier to detect and track. And also the fact that they have moved out of their big pieces, such as tanks and whatnot, knowing full well that those are exposed and detected.”

Canada’s Aurora surveillance aircraft has been used in the mission, to help detect ISIS targets on the ground.

ISIS’s leader released a statement on social media saying the group will fight to the last man.