Canada PM to talk to NATO head about expanding IS mission

Toronto, Mar 23: Canada's prime minister will talk about his plan to extend and expand Canada's military mission against the Islamic State group at a meeting with NATO's secretary general.

A senior government official said yesterday that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will make clear Canada's continued commitment when he meets today with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Ottawa.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly. Harper has said he'll provide details about extending and expanding the mission this coming week.

It's due to expire in April. Canada has 69 special forces soldiers with Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. The mission also includes six CF-18 fighter jets based in Kuwait. Canada's military is not involved in Syria, but Harper intends to deal with that issue.

AP