Canadian planes carry out first strikes in Syria: army

OTTAWA - Agence France-Presse

AFP Photo

Canada carried out its first air strikes in Syria on Wednesday the military said, expanding Ottawa's contribution to the US-led coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), after parliament approved a larger role in the conflict.
      
Two F-18s using precision-guided munitions struck a ISIL position near the Syrian city of Raqqa, before safely returning to base, the military announced.
      
The strike near Raqqa, an ISIL stronghold, was carried out with a group of 10 aircraft, including six US planes.        

Canadian strikes had been limited to Iraqi territory, but at the end of March Canadian lawmakers narrowly passed a measure to allow the country's aircraft to target ISIL targets in Syria.
      
Opposition lawmakers argued Canada should not deepen its involvement in the long-running and complex war.
      
Canada first joined the anti-ISIL coalition in November and it has also deployed about 70 special forces troops to train Kurds to fight ISIL in northern Iraq.
      
Despite a sustained air campaign and ground advances in Iraq, the radical group still holds large swaths of territory straddling Syria and Iraq.