A Canadian sniper set a new record for the longest confirmed kill last month after he shot and killed an ISIS insurgent in Iraq that was 3,450 meters away. (That's more than two miles.) The sniper, who has not yet been identified, made the shot from a high rise building, and the bullet took about ten seconds to actually reach the target. He is a member of Joint Task Force 2, a special forces unit that deals with counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and snipers. This new record is nearly a thousand meters more than the previous record of 2,475 meters, which was held by British sniper Craig Harrison.
The location of the shot was also not released, presumably for security reasons.
The kill was independently verified by video camera and other data, The Globe and Mail has learned.
“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 military insider told The Globe: “This is an incredible feat. It is a world record that might never be equalled.”
The world record was previously held by British sniper Craig Harrison, who shot a Taliban gunner with a 338 Lapua Magnum rifle from 2,475 metres away in 2009.
The sniper's bullet stopped an ISIS attack on Iraqi security forces. Canadian military officials said that the use of a sniper was more effective and safer than using a bomb, which could have killed civilians. Plus, the ISIS insurgent did not see the bullet coming, which is another advantage.