Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan issued an apology on Facebook Saturday morning for the recent miscue regarding his role in a 2006 offensive against the Taliban.
“I made a mistake in describing my role. I wish to retract that description and apologize for it,” Sajjan wrote. “I am truly sorry.”
In a prepared speech in India earlier this week, Sajjan described himself as the “architect” of Operation Medusa, an offensive in Afghanistan in which Canada “removed about 1,500 Taliban fighters off the battlefield.”
READ MORE: #SajjanBattles mocks defence minister for inflating his role fighting the Taliban
Sajjan acknowledged he had overstepped his accomplishments over his role in and issued a direct apology to his former collegaues as well.
“While I am proud of the role I played during my deployments to Afghanistan, my comments were in no way intended to diminish the roles of my former superiors and fellow soldiers,” he wrote. “To them, I offer my sincere apologies.”
The defence minister’s misstep was the subject of much bemusement on Twitter Friday.
Sajjan had issued an apology in a statement on Friday but noted the reaction in his Facebook comment which led to him posting his Facebook note.
READ MORE: Harjit Sajjan regrets inflating his role in major offensive against the Taliban
This was not the first time he exaggerated his role in the operation.
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Asked about Sajjan’s remarks at a news conference addressing sexual misconduct in the military, Vance said, “I’m not really aware of this case, and quite frankly, I’d like us to keep our eye on the ball about sexual misconduct in the Armed Forces today.”
— With files from David Akin and Jesse Ferreras
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