Canadian special forces have clashed with militants of the ISIL terrorist group by exchanging gunfire in Iraq in recent days.

Canadian special forces have clashed with militants of the ISIL terrorist group by exchanging gunfire in Iraq in recent days.

Canadian special forces commander, Brigadier General Michael Rouleau said the Canadians came under mortar and machine gun fire while training Iraqi troops near the front lines and shot back in what he described as self-defense, killing the ISIL fighters.

Rouleau said the melee had taken place in the previous seven days and was "the first time we've taken fire and returned fire" in Iraq, where the Takfiri group has overrun areas in Iraq.

"My troops had completed a planning session with senior Iraqi leaders several kilometers behind the front lines," Rouleau told a regular media briefing on the conflict.

"When they moved forward to confirm the planning at the front lines in order to visualize what they had discussed over a map, they came under immediate and effective mortar and machine gun fire."

The general said the Canadians used sniper fire to "neutralize both threats" and there were no Canadian injuries.

Although ISIL overran large areas of Ira last July, the Iraqi army has been staging a counter-offensive to regain control of these areas. The army, backed by popular mobilization forces, made significant achievements in this context, forcing the Takfiri terrorist to flee several regions in the provinces of Salahuddin and al-Anbar.