Photo: The Canadian Press

Lt.-Gen. Stephen Bowes and Brig.-Gen. Peter Dawe speak at a Canadian Armed Forces press conference.

The deputy commander of Canadian special forces says the sniper who shattered the record for the longest confirmed kill also saved lives.

Brig.-Gen. Peter Dawe tells The Canadian Press that Islamic State fighters were gathering for an attack on an unsuspecting Iraqi military unit when the Canadian took the 3.5-kilometre shot.

The shot killed one fighter and sent the rest scattering for cover, effectively breaking up the attack.

Dawe won't say much else about the shot, saying that to do so could endanger the lives of Canadian soldiers in Iraq.

Reaction to the record-breaking shot has been mixed, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying it should be celebrated, while NDP leader Tom Mulcair says it proves Canadian troops in Iraq are in combat.

Dawe says the sniper was operating within the mission parameters laid out by the federal government, which includes shooting to defend friendly forces when needed.