Canada's defence minister visits Iraq: reports

BAGDHAD, Iraq — Canada's defence minister is visiting Iraq, just days after Canadian military forces helped push back a major Islamic State offensive.

Kurdish media are reporting that Harjit Sajjan spent Sunday in the town of Irbil in a visit that was not announced by the Canadian government in advance.

The Kurdish media outlet Rudaw didn't report specifically why Sajjan was in Iraq but images show him meeting with Kurdish officials in Irbil.

On Thursday, Canadian special forces personnel who are in Iraq in a non-combat training role laid down supporting fire to help repulse the ISIL offensive.

Canadian CF-18 fighter jets also pounded an ISIL position near Mosul.

The Trudeau government has announced it intends to withdraw the CF-18s from Iraq sometime in the new year and bolster the training mission.

The Canadian Press