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The military did not say where exactly the warehouse was located or how close it was to populated areas. The strike near Kirkuk took place in the desert, likely away from homes and businesses.

The Australian air force confirmed a few weeks ago that it waved off at least one bombing mission because pilots and military planners were concerned about civilians in the area.

Capt. Forget was unable to say whether Canadian jets had aborted any missions.

He also refused to discuss if the military had been able to confirm whether any of Canada’s raids had killed fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq & Al-Sham. The air force is more concerned with military “effects,” such as clearing a path for local troops.

Nor would he say what targets are off-limits for Canada’s CF-18 fighters, which have conducted four strike missions in Iraq so far.

Coalition aircraft have been hitting military and economic targets, everything from tanks and trenches to enemy training camps and oil refineries.

The spokesman insisted ISIS’s ability to conduct further offensive operations has been blunted and highlighted recent gains of Iraqi troops, who have retaken the key oil refinery at Bayji, north of Baghdad.

The briefing, which the Harper government has conducted weekly since the combat mission began, also showcased construction at the Canadian camp in Kuwait, where pilots and other military support staff are housed. This includes laying fibre optic cables and building a maintenance shed for the CF-18s

At the moment, the mission is authorized only to last six months.

Asked why the air force would be putting so much work into a centre for only a few months on the ground, Capt. Forget said there’s a minimum standard that has to be met.

The Canadian Press