OTTAWA – Canadian troops in Iraq have begun training the Iraq army on the threat of improvised explosive devices, and have updated their Royal Canadian Air Force contributions to Operation Impact.

Approximately 20 Canadian army engineers from CFB Petawawa have been deployed to Besmaya, Iraq, to deliver explosive threat training to the Iraqi security forces.

The Canadian Armed Forces announced the changes to Canada's contribution to the coalition fighting ISIS on Friday.

Canada will provide at least three rounds of training in the months ahead to Iraqi army bomb disposal school instructors. This is being done, the military says, with the aim of establishing a group of soldiers within the Iraqi security forces who can instruct on counter-improvised explosive devices.

"Improvised explosive devices are a very significant threat in Iraq," said Brigadier-General Dan MacIsaac, commander of the Joint Task Force-Iraq, in an interview with CTV News from Kuwait.

He said that so far the coalition has liberated an area about the size of Ontario, but the land is still "heavily polluted with improvised explosive devices."

This counter IED training team is in addition to the ongoing military contribution in the region, in an effort to boost the local force's capacity to defeat ISIS. Brig.-Gen. MacIsaac said Canada's help on this front was asked of them by the Iraqi army.

"The Iraqi army is carrying most of the weight of defeating Daesh," he said, using another name for ISIS. "They have lost many soldiers."

Second Hercules aircraft sent

A second Hercules aircraft has also been sent to join the joint task force in Iraq. The cargo aircraft has already deployed from CFB Trenton. The Canadian military says this is to enhance Canada's contribution to the coalition's air transport of troops and equipment.

As well, the one remaining Aurora intelligence aircraft will be coming home in mid-December. The Aurora has been involved in the mission for over three years, supporting coalition intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. One of these aircraft was already sent home in the spring.

Brig.-Gen. MacIssac said it's no longer needed because of the intelligence capabilities developed among the coalition at this point.

The Forces say the changes to Canada's role are a result of the evolving conditions on the ground.

"In terms of the evolution of the theatre here we've removed ISIS and Daesh from influencing 7 million people. But they are still out there," Brig.-Gen. MacIssac said. "Traditionally as one moves through insurgency, the forces that lost conventionally start to move into wooded areas, mountainous areas, deserts, to re-establish their strength. We're going to follow up with Daesh and make sure they can't do that."

Operation Impact

Canada joined Operation Impact, the U.S.-led multinational coalition to defeat ISIS, in 2014. Canada's role has been in an "advise-and-assist" capacity, working with Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq.

In June, the Canadian government updated the mission, committing up to 850 troops until March 2019, at a cost of $371 million.

Canada's involvement has been to train both the Iraqi and Kurdish forces to be more effective against ISIS, and provide them with real-time battlefield strategy. At times, Canadian Special Operations Forces have engaged the enemy directly to defend themselves or their allies.

Though, In October, after Iraqi and Kurdish troops turned their weapons on each other, about 200 Canadian Special Operation Forces personnel temporarily suspended operations.

Offering tactical training and assistance is only part of Canada's broader mandate under Operation Impact. The rest of the anti-ISIS mission, including a field hospital in northern Iraq, tactical helicopters, refuelling for coalition jets, and intelligence contributions, will continue without interruption.

With files from CTV News' Mercedes Stephenson