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OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government is pulling the plug on a decade-old plan to move the military’s elite Joint Task Force 2 to a new base, ending years of speculation and uncertainty for the commando unit’s members and their families.

The decision, announced Monday by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in response to a question from The Canadian Press, comes despite the previous Conservative government’s having spent millions acquiring land for a new facility near Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario.

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“In the changing global security environment, we remain focused on making sure that the Canadian special forces are equipped to deal with these challenges,” Sajjan said in an emailed statement.

“I want to assure those who are serving with JTF2 and their families that we have no plans to move this facility out of Ottawa.”

While the minister did not provide reasons for the decision, defence officials have previously spoken of a desire to keep JTF2, whose primary role is counter-terror missions in Canada and abroad, close to Ottawa to guard against terrorist attacks.