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Iraq
Canadian forces help Peshmerga repel ISIS attack
2015-12-19
[Rudaw] Wednesday's lengthy firefight between Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) Lions of Islam and Kurdish Peshmerga forces on multiple front-lines were the deadliest ISIS-offensive since the deployment of western trainers to Iraq more than a year ago.

After ISIS attacked in at least five different locations with jacket wallahs, vehicle-borne improvised explosives (VBIEDs) "boom-mobiles, mortars and rockets" the Kurds, on Thursday, launched a counter-offensive.

They were joined by 69 Canadian special forces who, while there as trainers, gave supporting fire to their Peshmerga allies.

At least six Peshmerga were killed and 13 maimed in these confrontations. They killed about 70 of the attackers. None of the Canadians sustained any casualties or injuries.

"They [the Peshmerga] came under effective fire and our guys were close enough and able to respond with fire on those ISIL positions," Canadian Maj.-Gen Charles Lamarre told CBC News.

He tried to downplay the fact that these forces were engaged in a combat role, even, albeit briefly, by adding that, "Our guys are always prepared because it's a dangerous environment and they need to defend not only themselves but the forces with which they are training and providing assistance."

According to Vice News Lamarre also stressed that the Canadians only engaged in fighting with ISIS when their Kurdish allies came under fire.

Canada's Defense Minister, Harjit Sajjan, congratulated his troops for their response. "These actions illustrate the valuable contribution our forces are making to the [Peshmerga] and the fight against ISIL," he stated.

Canadian forces, operating under an advisory role, have exchanged fire with ISIS on one other occasion in the past.

They have also been used as spotters to provide Peshmerga forces with coalition air strikes. The two Canadian CF-18 jets supported the Canadian-Kurdish counter-attack on Thursday are set to be withdrawn by the Canadian government next March as per the new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wish.
The New York Times adds:
“I think their principal objective was probably to conduct a spoiling attack,” said Brig. Gen. Mark Odom, the senior American officer in northern Iraq, referring to the possibility that the attack may have been intended to disrupt moves to encircle and eventually capture Mosul.

“As attacks go, they were pretty significant,” General Odom added. “The last time we had a serious attack was on 6 July.”
Posted by:trailing wife

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