A Canadian soldier has shattered the world record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in military history when he shot dead an Islamic State militant 3,540 metres (2.1 miles) away in Iraq.
The sniper, from the elite Joint Task Force 2, made the shot from a high-rise during an operation within the last month, The Globe and Mail reports.
The soldier, who has not been named, shattered the previous record held by Craig Harrison, a member of the British armed forces, by almost a kilometre. Harrison shot a Taliban gunner from 2,475 metres in 2009.
Canada’s Armed Forces confirmed the incident and the distance in a statement last week.
It took the bullet, fired from a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle, under 10 seconds to hit the target.
Identity of the elite Canadian sniper and the location where the incident took place have not been disclosed for security reasons.
A military source told The Globe that the shot in question “actually disrupted” an IS attack on Iraqi security forces.
The kill was independently verified by video camera and other data.
“Hard data on this. It isn’t an opinion. It isn’t an approximation. There is a second location with eyes on with all the right equipment to capture exactly what the shot was,” another military source said.
A source described the difficultly of the shot, which required the shooter to account for wind, ballistics, and even the Earth's curvature.
Math skills, great eyesight, precision of ammunition and firearms, and superb training were needed for the successful shot.
“This is an incredible feat. It is a world record that might never be equaled,” a military insider told The Globe.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
