14.54°C Vancouver

Mar 30, 2021 5:34 PM -

Ottawa announces one-year extension to anti-ISIL mission, but offers few details

Share On
ottawa-announces-one-year-extension-to-anti-isil-mission-but-offers-few-details
Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan takes part in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada is staying in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant for another year.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced this afternoon that Canada will keep up to 850 troops in Iraq and the surrounding region until next March.

The extension comes only one day before the mission, which began in October 2014, was set to end.

It also coincides with growing concerns about Iran's influence in Iraq, with Tehran backing numerous Shia militia groups.

Those groups, which have largely displaced ISIL as the main threat in Iraq, have stepped up attacks on Western forces in recent months.

The Liberal government previously set a cap of 850 troops for the mission several years ago, but Canada had been slowly withdrawing troops from the region over the last year.

Latest news

saskatchewan-apologizes-to-former-students-of-boarding-school
BCSep 29, 2025

Saskatchewan apologizes to former students of boarding school

The Saskatchewan government is officially saying sorry to survivors and families for its role in the historical abuse and trauma that occurred at a boarding school for Metis and First Nations children. Premier Scott Moe says the province has also agreed to pay $40 million to former students of the Ile-a-la-Crosse Boarding School and their families. The school, northwest of Saskatoon, operated from the 1820s until it burned down in the 1970s. School survivors have said they were banned from speaking their language and were frequently beaten if they did, resulting in the loss of their
vancouver-whitecaps-and-vancouver-fc-face-off-in-the-canadian-championship-final
BCSep 29, 2025

Vancouver Whitecaps and Vancouver FC face-off in the Canadian championship final

The Vancouver Whitecaps will face Vancouver FC in the TELUS Canadian Championship final, this Wednesday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at BC Place Stadium. The Vancouver Whitecaps team recently won the Cascadia Cup for the 8th time, setting a record. The Whitecaps will now be eyeing a fourth consecutive Canadian championship title. The Vancouver Whitecaps won the semi-finals against Forge FC by an aggregate score of 6-2 in the two matches and the team enters the final with strong momentum. Vancouver FC in a huddle during a match of Canadian championship. (Photo - Vancouver FC)However, Vancouver FC from
charger-fails-to-dodge-richmond-rcmp-for-second-time
BCSep 29, 2025

Charger fails to dodge Richmond RCMP for second time

Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit impounds vehicle a second time as it fails to dodge police enforcement. On September 20, 2025, officers from the Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit (RSU) were conducting targeted enforcement in east Richmond when an RSU officer stopped a vehicle driving 99km/hr in a 50km/h zone. The vehicle was impounded for excessive speed, and the driver received a violation ticket in the amount of $368, plus the additional cost of towing, impound, and driver premium points. Of note, the officer recalled stopping the exact same vehicle almost exactly one year ago for speeding on Hw
jobs-minister-urges-canada-post-to-table-new-offer-to-striking-union
CanadaSep 29, 2025

Jobs minister urges Canada Post to table new offer to striking union

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is urging Canada Post to quickly table an offer to the union of striking postal workers. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers took to the picket lines Thursday after Ottawa announced sweeping changes to the Crown corporation's operations to address its troubled financial situation. Those changes include ending daily mail delivery and moving almost all Canadian households to community mailboxes, moves the union calls a direct attack on workers. In an interview today, Hajdu did not rule out federal intervention to end the latest strike but also said Canada Post needs to
BCSep 29, 2025

One man dead and one injured in serious crash

Police are investigating after a two-vehicle collision claimed the life of one driver and seriously injured another Saturday afternoon. On September 27, 2025 at 1:30 p.m., the Oceanside RCMP received a report of a serious two-vehicle crash on Highway 4 near Cameron Lake. An eastbound Honda Civic appeared to have lost control on a series of curves where it impacted with a westbound Chevy Impala. The Civic subsequently became engulfed in flames and the sole occupant died at the scene. The driver of the Impala, a 70-year-old Alberta man, was extricated and taken to hospital with serious, potentia

Related News