Canada's elite Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) claimed a historic feat in 2017 after executing the longest confirmed sniper kill in military history.
The shot was taken in June of that year as the JTF2 team were tasked with taking out an Islamic State (ISIS) insurgent.
At the time, the mission in Iraq was part of Canada's 'Operation Impact', which was their contribution to the international battle against ISIS.
A sniper, whose identity has remained classified for security reasons, was aiming a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle from a high-rise position.
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The final bullet was shot from an eye-watering 3,540 meters (approximately 2.2 miles) away and took nearly 10 seconds to reach its target.
Just the precision needed for such a long-distance shot is off-the-scale.
You've got to take into account factors like wind, gravity, and even the Earth's curvature.
In this instance, the sniper team employed advanced ballistic software and wind meter instruments to ensure accuracy.
As reported by SOFREP, the rifle was customised with special rails to achieve the necessary elevation adjustments.
"The Canadian Special Operations Command can confirm that a member of Joint Task Force 2 successfully hit a target at 3,540 metres," the Canadian Armed Forces said in a statement at the time.
"For operational security reasons and to preserve the safety of our personnel and our Coalition partners we will not discuss precise details on when and how this incident took place."
The statement added: "As stated multiple times in the past, members of the Canadian Special Operations Task Force do not accompany leading combat elements, but enable the Iraqi security forces who are in a tough combat mission.
"This takes the form of advice in planning their operations and assistance to defeat Daesh through the use of coalition resources."
The Globe and Mail also reported that the 'the kill was independently verified by video camera and other data'.
"The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [Islamic State] attack on Iraqi security forces," a military source told the outlet.
"Instead of dropping a bomb that could potentially kill civilians in the area, it is a very precise application of force and because it was so far way, the bad guys didn't have a clue what was happening."
The previous world record sniper shot was held by British sniper Craig Harrison, who shot a Taliban gunner from 2,475 metres away in 2009.
"Canada has a world-class sniper system. It is not just a sniper. They work in pairs. There is an observer," another military source said. "This is a skill set that only a very few people have."
Topics: World News
Anish Vij