OTTAWA – Canadian troops have destroyed three vehicle-borne suicide bombers with anti-armour missiles in Iraq.
Senior military officials revealed the surprising detail during a briefing today in which they doubled down on their defence of Canadian troops being able to fire at enemy forces first.
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Maj.-Gen. Mike Rouleau says there has been a substantial increase in the number of times Canadian forces have used force in Iraq in recent months, but that only a small minority involved shooting first.
Rouleau says the Canadians were always firing to defend themselves, their allies or civilians.
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He says that was the case with the three suicide bombers, who could have caused major carnage if they had successfully reached Kurdish lines.
Rouleau likens the Canadians rules of engagement to police officers being able to use force if they believe they or someone else is in danger.