A Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 Fighter jet from 409 Squadron taxis after landing in Kuwait on Oct. 30. (Handout/DND-MND/Canadian Press)
Sputnik: Canadian Pilot Conducted Airstrike That Killed 9 Iraqi Soldiers
A Canadian pilot has been named responsible for the accidental deaths of nine Iraqi soldiers near the city of Fallujah, a military source told Iraqi television channel Al-Sumar.
Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi on Friday confirmed the death of nine Iraqi soldiers after an unintentional air strike during an offensive on rebel positions near the city of Fallujah in Anbar province.
“The plane of the international coalition forces that fired at the Iraqi army near Fallujah three days ago, was Canadian, the pilot was Canadian,” the source said.
WNU Editor: Talk about timing. Canada's defence minister is in Iraq today .... Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan visits Iraq (CBC). No one else has verified this claim that a Canadian pilot was involved in this friendly fire incident.
Hat Tip to RRH for the Sputnik news link.
2 comments:
“The Canadian Armed Forces is aware of recent media reports of Canadian involvement in a potential friendly fire incident near Fallujah, Iraq, on December 18, 2015,” Major Isabelle Bresse stated in an email to Defence Watch. “CF-18 Hornets did not conduct an airstrike near Fallujah, Iraq, on December 18, 2015.”
The airstrike had been earlier identified as involving U.S. aircraft. Here are more background details on the accident from the Associated Press:
The American airstrike killed a number of Iraqi soldiers seems to be “a mistake that involved both sides,” U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said. He called Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to express condolences.
There's a really easy way to avoid Canadians being accused of bombing friendlies: don't send them over there in the first place.
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