Canadian Troops Suppress ISIL Barrage

Canadian special forces troops had traveled to the front lines in the past week with their Iraqi trainees,in order to visualise the map they had been studying.ISIL militants spotted them and opened up on them with a mortar and machine gun.Invoking their right of self-defence,the Canadians neutralised the enemy position by laying down sniper fire,according to General Michael Rouleau,commander of Canadian Special Operations Force Command.It was the first instance of coalition forces engaging in ground combat operations during Operation Inherent Resolve,the anti-Islamic State effort.General Rouleau described the ISIL militants' attack as being immediate and effective.
The Canadian SOP troops in Iraq number about 70.Their mission is to train,advise and assist Iraqi troops-particularly the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.In addition,they are serving as forward air controllers, targeting ISIL positions with laser markers,collecting intelligence on them and analysing what positions should be bombed.Six Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter aircraft are in Iraq participating in coalition airstrikes on Islamist militant targets,supported by another 600 Canadian troops.Canada is one of the leading contributors to Operation Inherent Resolve.
The SOP troops established Patrol Base Cirillo in a November ceremony.No Canadian soldiers were injured in last week's firefight.The incident points up the way even trainers can become involved in combat,the best intentions of their political leaders notwithstanding.Both Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama have insisted their troops are not on a combat mission.