By Canadian Press

Killing of Iranian general sparks concerns for safety of Canadian troops

Jan 3, 2020 | 9:45 AM

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says the safety of Canadians in the Middle East is the government’s “paramount concern” after an American airstrike killed a top Iranian general.

Gen. Qassem Soleimani was the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force and was killed last night in Baghdad, Iraq.

There are 850 Canadian Forces members deployed throughout Iraq, in efforts to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and to train Iraqi forces.

Champagne is calling on “all sides” to be restrained and to pursue de-escalation.

A former foreign-policy adviser to the Canadian government says the government is right to be concerned.

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Shuvaloy Majumdar says retaliation from the general’s supporters is likely and those attacks might be directed not just at Americans, but all westerners in the region.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2020.

The Canadian Press