Three other Canadian soldiers were injured.
The soldiers were with Canada's special operations forces and were mistakenly engaged by Iraqi Kurdish forces following their return to an observation post behind the front lines, the defense department said in a statement.
The soldier killed was Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron, who had been based in Petawawa, Ontario. The three injured soldiers, who were not immediately identified, were receiving medical care.
The Canadian special forces have exchanged fire with Islamic State militants at least three times since being deployed to train Iraqi forces and also identify targets for air strikes.
Canada is due to decide in a few weeks whether to extend the six-month mandate of its military mission there.
In addition to about 70 Canadian special forces operating in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, Canada has provided six jets to take part in US-led bombing missions against Islamic State militants.
[jpost.com by Reuters]
7/3/15
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Canadian fighter jets have left the Cold Lake military base in Alberta to join an international combat mission against Islamic State extremists in Iraq...
Canada preparing to send jets to combat Islamic State
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The death of a Canadian soldier, and the injury of three others, in a friendly fire incident in Iraq "will not affect" the government's on decision whether to extend the mission against ISIS, Defence Minister Jason Kenney said Saturday...
ReplyDeleteSgt. Andrew Joseph Doiron – based out of Garrison Petawawa in Ontario – was killed Friday after members of the Canadian Special Forces were mistakenly engaged by Iraqi Kurdish fighters, the Department of National Defence said in a statement.
Three other members were injured in the incident; Kenney said they are in "stable" condition...................http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canadian-soldier-killed-by-friendly-fire-in-iraq-1.2268817
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Death of Canadian Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron (The White House, Office of the Press Secretary)...
ReplyDelete"The United States extends its deepest condolences on the loss of Canadian Armed Forces Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron who was tragically killed in Iraq yesterday during a friendly fire incident. We offer our sympathies to the people of Canada and to the family and loved ones of Sergeant Doiron. Our thoughts are also with the three injured members of the Canadian Armed Forces as we wish them a speedy recovery. The United States and over 60 coalition partners proudly stand with Canada and recognize the extraordinary contributions and sacrifices of the Canadian Armed Forces and of all the men and women serving the coalition campaign to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/07/statement-nsc-spokesperson-bernadette-meehan-death-canadian-sergeant-a-0
7/3/15
Defence minister disputes Kurdish account of 'friendly fire' incident in Iraq...
ReplyDeleteDefence Minister Jason Kenney is maintaining that Canadian soldiers were well behind the front lines in Iraq when a sergeant was shot and killed in “friendly fire” incident Friday, despite contradicting reports from Kurdish forces.
A spokesman for the Kurdish forces in Iraq told The Associated Press Sunday that the Canadians showed up to the village of Bashiq, north of Mosul, unannounced and ignored an order to stay in their vehicle. Halgurd Hekmat said: "The peshmerga asked them to identify themselves. They answered in Arabic, that's when peshmerga started shooting."
Speaking to CTV's Question Period Sunday, Kenney disputed the Kurdish account.
“They weren’t on the front lines," said Kenney.
“My understanding is that the observation post where the troops were approaching -- at about 11 p.m. on Friday night, close to Irbil -- was about 200 metres behind the fort line of our troops, so 200 metres from the front. They had been there earlier in the day, and they were returning to the observation post when it was dark out, and apparently it was a case of mistaken identity,” said Kenney.............http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/defence-minister-disputes-kurdish-account-of-friendly-fire-incident-in-iraq-1.2269444
8/3/15
Canada and Kurds disagree over soldier's death in Iraq...
ReplyDeleteCanadian and Kurdish officials on Sunday offered conflicting accounts of the death of a Canadian soldier in a friendly fighting incident in Iraq, with the Kurds saying he was on the front lines directing airstrikes and Canada's defense minister saying he had returned to an observation post further back.
The death of Sgt. Andrew Joseph Doiron on Friday marked Canada's first casualty as part of the U.S.-led coalition's war on the extremist Islamic State group. Canada is actively debating whether to extend the combat mission, which is due to expire at the end of the month.
Kurdish officials said Sunday that Doiron was killed after he and other Canadian soldiers showed up to the front line unannounced to call in airstrikes.
"They went to the front line to direct airstrikes because the area was attacked by ISIS the day before,'' Hezhar Ismail, director of coordination and relations for Kurdish peshmerga forces told The Associated Press, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.
But Canadian Defense Minister Jason Kenney said the Canadian soldiers had just returned to an observation post well behind the front line when they were mistakenly fired upon by Kurdish fighters.
"They weren't on the front line,'' Kenney said in an interview with CTV. "It was 200 meters from the front.'' .............http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Canada-and-Kurds-disagree-over-soldiers-death-in-Iraq/articleshow/46498162.cms
9/3/15