Article content

The Canadian Forces has temporarily suspended its training activities in Iraq as tensions in that country continue to rise following the U.S. assassination of a top Iranian general.

The temporary halt affects Canadian military personnel in Iraq involved in Operation Impact, including Canadian special forces involved in training Iraqi personnel, Department of National Defence sources said. The move also includes Canadian military engineers who are training Iraqis on counter improvised explosive techniques. The DND has not released details about the number of Canadian military personnel who are in Iraq and assigned to Operation Impact.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Canadian military temporarily suspends all Iraq training; troops will focus on their own safety Back to video

Sources say the personnel will not be withdrawn, but will focus on “force protection” arrangements, meaning they are going to increase their own security at the bases where they operate.

“The NATO mission and Operation IMPACT’s mandate remain the same, but all training activities in Iraq are suspended temporarily as we continue to monitor the security environment,” Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement issued Saturday. “We are taking all necessary precautions for the safety and security of our civilian and military personnel.”