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OTTAWA — Canadian military special forces are in Mali protecting Canada’s embassy, Postmedia News has learned.

The specially-trained soldiers are not in the West African country to participate in any direct combat action, nor will they provide training to the Malian troops, sources said Monday.

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However, the special forces personnel have been assigned to provide protection to Canada’s embassy in the capital city of Bamako and provide for the safety of Canadians in the country.

It is not known how many members of the special unit are in Mali, or how long they have been there. However, it is understood that with so much instability in the country, Canada wants to ensure its diplomats are guarded.

JTF2, or Joint Task Force 2, is a Canadian Forces special operations unit, believed to number about 500 soldiers, based just outside of Ottawa. Its members are drawn from across the Canadian Forces and are generally considered among the regular troops, and even among members of the Special Operations Regiment based in Pettawawa, Ont., to be the elite of the elite. JTF2 commandos are highly secretive, revealing neither their identities nor their missions to outsiders. They serve in combat zones typically as advance reconnaissance, snipers, counter-terrorism and protection detail – including safeguarding of Canadian diplomatic assets and personnel.