Canadian special forces clash with Daesh militants in Iraq

Canadian special forces clashed with Islamic State fighters in Iraq last week, in the first recorded firefight between Western troops and the Islamic militants.

Soldiers visiting front-line positions with Kurdish Peshmerga forces came under heavy mortar and machine gun fire, Brigadier General Michael Rouleau confirmed.

The Canadians used sniper fire to ‘neutralise’ the ISIS threat without taking any casualties.

He said the troops, whose job it is to train the Iraqi military, fired back only in self-defence, adding: ‘My troops had completed a planning session with senior Iraqi leaders several kilometres behind the front lines.

‘When they moved forward to confirm the planning at the front lines in order to visualize what they had discussed over a map, they came under immediate and effective mortar and machine gun fire.’

The general said that while Canadian soldiers are not participating in active combat, they do have the right to fire back in order to protect themselves.

He told a group of reporters in Ottawa: ‘This is the first time this has happened since our arrival and our reaction is wholly consistent with the inherent right of self-defense.’

Rouleau, who is the commander of special operations, and other Canadian officials declined to say where the gunfight happened – citing operational security.

For the first time, the general did admit that Canadian soldiers have been helping Kurdish forces by directing coalition air strikes from the ground.

Canada has six CF-18 fighter jets, a refueling tanker aircraft and two surveillance planes there as part of an air combat mission that includes about 600 airmen and airwomen.

The news comes during the release of a new Islamic State video, in which the group threatens to kill two Japanese hostages unless they receive $200 million within 72 hours.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged $200 million in non-military support for countries fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, only two days ago.

The footage which appeared on various militant websites featured the British-accented militant widely known as ‘Jihadi John’, who appeared in the beheading videos of four Western hostages last year.

He identifies the men – knealing in orange jumpsuits – as journalist Kenji Goto Jogo and military company operator, Haruna Yukawa.

The militant directly addresses Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, now on a six-day visit to the Middle East with more than 100 government officials and presidents of Japanese companies.

Brandishing a knife and dressed all in black, the says: ‘To the prime minister of Japan. Although you are more than 8,000 and 500 kilometres (5,280 miles) from the Islamic State, you willingly have volunteered to take part in this crusade.

‘You have proudly donated $100 million to kill our women and children – to destroy the homes of the Muslims.’

Canada is among dozens of countries that have joined the United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State militant group in Iraq.

It has 69 special forces soldiers in the country, in what the Canadian government has described as a training and advisory role.

Rouleau said they do about 80 per cent of their training and advising well behind the front lines, and about 20 per cent right at the front lines.