Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Visitors welcomed with Eid initiative at Thee Ain Heritage Village in Al-Baha    Over 1 million pilgrims benefit from golf cart service at Grand Mosque during Ramadan    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Messi's bodyguard banned from touchline at Inter Miami games    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 2,719 as rescue efforts continue    Russia, Ukraine trade blame over new energy strikes    Putin orders Russia's largest military call-up in over a decade    Le Pen vows to appeal political ban, calls verdict a 'denial of democracy'    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Albania hosts MWL chief for Eid sermon at largest mosque in the Balkans    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Canada to extend anti-IS mission, strike targets in Syria
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 25 - 03 - 2015

TORONTO — Canada's prime minister will announce a one-year extension of its military mission against the self-proclaimed Islamic State group and expand it to include air strikes on targets in Syria, a senior government official said Monday.
The official confirmed the details and said Prime Minister Stephen Harper will make the announcement in Parliament on Tuesday morning.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Harper had said he'll provide details about extending and expanding the mission this week. It's due to expire in April. Canada has 69 special forces soldiers training Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq. They were sent last September on a mission that was billed as noncombat with the troops supposed to be working far behind the front lines.
But the Canadian soldiers have been helping the Kurdish forces by directing coalition airstrikes against IS fighters, a role generally considered risky because it means they are close to the battle against the militants.
The Canadians' efforts complement those of the United States, which has conducted the vast majority of the airstrikes against the Islamic State group. But in their role of targeting airstrikes, the Canadians special forces soldiers are performing a task that so far the US military has been unwilling to do. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has repeatedly said the US would consider directing attacks from the ground but that it has not yet done so.
The fact that Canadian soldiers have been working near the front lines and directing airstrikes has stirred controversy in Canada.
A Canadian soldier was killed by Kurdish fighters in a friendly fire incident earlier this month.
The Canadian mission also includes six CF-18 fighter jets, a refueling tanker aircraft, two surveillance planes and one airlift aircraft, with about 600 airmen and airwomen based in Kuwait. The Canadian air strikes have been limited to IS targets in Iraq thus far.
Canada will be the first NATO country, other than the United States, to conduct airstrikes in Syria. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE have also carried out airstrikes in Syria.
Although the Canadian mission doesn't need parliamentary approval, the government will submit it to a vote to show consensus. Any motion would pass because Harper's Conservative Party has a majority in Parliament. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.