ISIS in Iraq: Canada to send Special Ops Soldiers as Advisers

Harper announces deployment of 'several dozen' military advisers for 'up to 30 days' to help Kurds

Candidates for the Canadian Special Operations Regiment train in Kamloops, B.C., in 2006. CSOR members are among the advisers Canada is sending to Iraq to assist in the fight against ISIS. (Lt(N) Meghan Marsaw/Combat Camera)

Canada's next contribution to the fight against ISIS in Iraq will be "several dozen" members of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today — and CBC News has learned that includes special operations forces.

The contingent of special operations forces will work closely with U.S. forces but remain under full command of Canada's Chief of Defence Staff.  The forces will come from the Special Operations Regiment. No specifics were available on what type of work they'd be doing, but Harper has said the Canadian Forces deployed to Iraq won't be involved in combat.

A spokesman for Harper described the broader Canadian mission as one that provides "strategic and tactical counsel to Iraqi forces before they start tactical operations" against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also called ISIL.

"This is an advise and assist role, not one in which Canadian Forces will be accompanying Iraqi forces on missions [or] tactical operations. They are there to provide advice that will help the government of Iraq and its security forces be more effective against ISIL," Jason MacDonald said in...(click for more)