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Canadian military mission to Iraq and region extended for another year

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Canada is extending its military mission in Iraq and the region for another year.

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Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Tuesday that Operation Impact will continue until March 31, 2022. The purpose of the mission is to build the military capabilities of Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, according to the Canadian Forces.

Operation Impact started in 2014 when the terror group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL occupied large portions of Iraq.

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The Canadian military “will continue to work with its partners and Allies to ensure the enduring defeat” of ISIL, the Department of National Defence noted in its news release on Tuesday.

Currently there are 500 Canadian military personnel assigned to Operation Impact, which includes a headquarters in Kuwait. There are also two Hercules transport aircraft assigned to the mission.

The one-year extension includes the authority to increase the numbers of Canadian personnel up to 850 if needed.

So far, Operation Impact has cost Canadian taxpayers more than $1 billion. That spending does not include salaries of military personnel, as that money would have been spent regardless, according to the DND.

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