Are there canadian troops in iraq

The government's decision to extend the anti-ISIS mission comes amid uncertainty about exactly what form Canada's presence in Iraq and the surrounding region will take in the coming months.

Jennie Carignan, until command was transferred to Denmark in November. Canada now has only 17 trainers involved in the mission. Canada also has a headquarters unit, two CC Hercules transport planes and support staff in Kuwait involved in the anti-ISIS mission, along with teams of military trainers in nearby Jordan and Lebanon.

All told, there are about Canadian troops in the region, though the federal government has authorized up to There has been growing concern about the threat posed by Iran and Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq, even as the number of ISIS fighters believed to be in Iraq and Syria has shrunk from between 14, and 18, to between 8, and 16, Obviously, we pay attention to other threats within the region for situational awareness and force protection.

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More than six years after Canada first deployed troops to the Middle East to help fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces personnel remain in the region. Canada is now at a crossroads with the mission, and the question facing the federal government, Canadian military commanders, diplomats and others is: How many of those troops will stay in the region after March?

And if they do stay, why? The current mission, involving more than military personnel spread across several countries, is slated to end March The majority of those troops are located in Kuwait and Iraq, the latter of which has been the main focus of Canada's anti-ISIS efforts. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, in a recent interview with The Canadian Press, declined to say whether the mission would be extended.

He emphasized instead that Canada would continue to be "a reliable partner" to its allies and countries in the region. Yet he also said the government will base its decision on ensuring "the hard-fought gains" made in previous years are not lost — particularly in Iraq.

Canada first deployed troops to the Middle East in October as part of a U. That initial foray involved dozens of special forces soldiers — one of whom was killed by so-called friendly fire from allied Kurdish fighters in March — as well as fighter jets and other aircraft, which helped stop ISIS's advance in Iraq. The next few years saw the mission evolve several times as ISIS lost all of its previous gains in Iraq, and the war morphed into a more traditional insurgency, with the militant group forced to hide and launch isolated attacks in the country.

The current mission includes an undisclosed number of special forces soldiers, who senior commanders have said are helping the Iraqis find and eliminate ISIS cells. Little else has been revealed in recent years about what those troops are doing. Full Menu Search Menu. Close Local your local region National. Search Submit search Quick Search. Comments Close comments menu. Video link. Close X. Click to scroll back to top of the page Back to top. By Staff The Canadian Press.

Posted October 1, am. Updated October 1, pm. Smaller font Descrease article font size - A.