Canadian fighter jets made their first combat strike since joining a campaign against Islamic State fighters in Iraq last month, Canada's defense minister said on Sunday.
Two Canadian CF-18 jets attacked Islamic State targets with laser-guided bombs in the vicinity of Fallujah, Iraq in a four-hour mission before returning safely to base, Defense Minister Rob Nicholson said in a statement.
"Today's strike demonstrates our government's firm resolve to tackle the threat of terrorism and to stand with our allies," the statement said, adding more information will be provided during a media briefing on Tuesday.
Canada's Conservative government early last month announced Canadian fighter jets would take part in U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants operating in Iraq for up to six months.
The decision to join the campaign was followed last month by fatal attacks on two soldiers in Canada that police said were carried out independently by radical recent converts to Islam.
One Canadian soldier was shot on Oct. 22 while standing guard at an Ottawa war memorial by a man who then charged into the Parliament building. Two days earlier, another man rammed two soldiers with his car near Montreal, killing one.
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