Canadian Jets Have Begun Bombing ISIS Targets in Syria

Two Canadian fighter jets conducted their nation’s first air strikes targeting ISIS forces in Syria on Wednesday, following the passage of a new mandate in Ottawa last week that expands Canada’s role in the ongoing war against the militant group.

“The [Canadian Armed Forces’s] first airstrike against ISIS in Syria has been successfully completed,” said General Tom Lawson, the country’s Chief of Defense Staff, in a statement. “Canadians can be proud of the work that their Canadian Armed Forces are doing, and the contribution they are making to coalition efforts.”

During Wednesday’s mission, two Canadian CF-18 Hornets joined eight other coalition jets in a sortie targeting an ISIS garrison near the group’s stronghold in Raqqa, Syria. The Canadian aircrew and aircraft returned safely to base following the raid.