Canada is extending a scaled-down version of its military mission in Iraq and the Middle East for another two years. Defence Minister Anita Anand announced the extension Monday afternoon, before the mandate for the mission known as Operation Impact was set to expire on Friday. The latest extension comes more than eight years after Canada first deployed troops…

OTTAWA—The commander of Canada’s special forces says his soldiers supported a major military offensive last month that U.S. and Iraqi officials say killed dozens of Islamic State fighters. The two−week offensive codenamed Operation Ready Lion took place in a mountain range in northern Iraq  and involved using Iraqi and coalition airstrikes to flush ISIL fighters…

OTTAWA—Canada is expected to face pressure this week to reverse a recent drawdown of troops from Iraq as the NATO military alliance prepares to expand its presence in the country. The alliance has persistent concerns about Islamic State extremists and Iranian-backed militias. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg predicted this week that defence ministers from across the…