Mr. Speaker, I would first like to compliment the member for his work on the Standing Committee on National Defence. We all benefit from his sound knowledge of the defence file.
Canada has an important role to play in the fight against Daesh. That is why our government decided to invest $1.6 billion in security, stabilization, humanitarian aid, and development assistance in the region. Of that amount, just over $300 million has been allocated to extending and refocusing Operation Impact.
Just over a year ago, the House debated at length the refocusing of the mission and voted in favour of doing so. Our special forces personnel are performing a train, advise, and assist mission for Iraqi forces. We have also deployed Griffon helicopters to transport troops and equipment. Our troops have been very successful in their efforts to train Iraqi forces.
Since the fall of 2014, our special forces personnel have trained approximately 2,000 Iraqi security force members. In October, Iraqi forces launched their campaign to liberate Mosul. So far, they have taken back approximately 62% of the territory initially controlled by Daesh in Iraq and have cleared 115 towns and villages. The campaign for Mosul is large scale and we expect it will be a long and difficult fight. However, it is moving forward according to plan and on schedule.
The Canadian Armed Forces have also assumed the lead of the Coalition Role 2 medical facility in Northern Iraq. Approximately 50 military personnel are currently working at the facility with a mandate to provide medical and surgical care to support coalition forces. A total of 364 patients have been treated there so far. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have received care were treated for illnesses or injuries sustained outside the battlefield. We are very proud of the contribution of our medical teams.
We understand that Canadians want to know what our troops are doing and that is why our government has always been open and transparent about this mission. When we have information, we will be pleased to inform the opposition on the peacekeeping mission in Africa. A lot more information is needed. When decisions have been made and the requested information is available, the House will be notified.
Contrary to what my colleague opposite said, our government is working hard to keep Canadians informed in many different ways. There have been several technical briefings about the mission in recent months, one of which was broadcast on social media. A technical briefing was held on January 26 to provide updates on what Canadian troops are doing and what Iraqi security forces have accomplished in the operation to liberate Mosul. At another technical briefing, this one in November, officials discussed what our military men and women were doing in the campaign for Mosul. The minister and the chief of the defence staff also appeared before a parliamentary committee to talk about the mission.
The Canadian Armed Forces also made it possible for journalists to visit operations, as they did in November 2016, and we will continue to do so regularly. Journalists were able to observe first-hand how Canada is supporting the coalition.
We will continue to demonstrate transparency, but we will do so while constantly taking into account any risk such actions could pose to our troops. We have made major progress, and Canada remains fully committed to supporting the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people on their journey toward becoming a stable and secure country.