Harper told parliament he will not seek “the express consent” of Syrian President Bashar Assad, but will be working with allies like the United States who have been carrying out airstrikes in Syria.
Canadian airstrikes have thus far been limited to just Iraq.
"The government recognizes that ISIL's power base, indeed the so-called caliphate's capital, is in Syria," Harper said, using an alternate acronym for the militant group. "ISIL's fighters and much of its heavier equipment are moving freely across the Iraqi border into Syria, in part for better protection against our airstrikes. In our view, ISIL must cease to have any safe haven in Syria."
