Canada joined a US-led coalition in the 2001 attack on Afghanistan . The war was a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks , and was intended to defeat the Taliban government and rout Al-Qaeda . Canada sent special forces and ground troops to the conflict . In this war , a Canadian sniper set the world record for the longest-distance kill . In early 2002 , Canadian JTF2 troops were photographed handing shackled Taliban prisoners over to U.S. forces , sparking a debate of the Geneva Convention . In November 2005 , Canadian military participation shifted from ISAF in Kabul to Operation Archer , a part of Operation Enduring Freedom in and around Kandahar . On May 17 , 2006 , Captain Nichola Goddard of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery became Canada 's first female combat casualty
9/11 terrorist attacks
September 11 attacks
Military history of Canada