Canadian soldier killed by friendly fire in Iraq

IRBIL, Iraq – A Canadian special operations soldier has become the first fatality among international troops deployed to counter the Islamic State group, the Canadian Defense Ministry announced Saturday.

Three other Canadian soldiers were wounded in the Friday incident, which the defense ministry described as “friendly fire” when Kurdish peshmerga fighters mistook the Canadians’ sport utility vehicle for an Islamic State vehicle. The Canadians were returning to a base at dusk in northern Iraq.

Coalition officials have stressed repeatedly that the hundreds of international troops in Iraq are there only to train and advise local Iraqi forces and are not undertaking combat missions. But the description of the incident suggests the Canadian troops were in an area where an Islamic State attack was expected.

Canadian special operations troops have been among the most aggressive trainers and consultants in northern Iraq. Peshmerga officials have said Canadian troops have spent more time on the front lines than any other members of the U.S.-led coalition.

Canadian officials identified the dead special operations soldier as Sgt. Andrew Joseph Doiron.