Ottawa, Ontario — (CP) Canadian Forces General Dynamics (CDF) is the first Canadian defence contractor to be designated a “high-value target” for the global military alliance against the Islamic State (ISIL) group.

The designation is one of a series of measures announced by the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday to address the threat posed by the militant group.

It comes after the military warned in a report earlier this month that the terrorist group is becoming increasingly effective at carrying out terrorist attacks and seizing territory.

Canadian Forces General Manager Rob Gorton said Thursday that the new designation is a “huge step forward” in the fight against ISIL.

He said the CTF will be the first defence contractor on the “most-wanted list” and the first to be targeted by the U.S. coalition against ISIL, the same coalition that has been targeting ISIL for more than two years.

The new designation was announced at a ceremony in Ottawa, where Trudeau was in attendance.

The CTF, with approximately 25,000 personnel, has about 5,600 bases across Canada and about 700 bases overseas.

Gorton described the military as being on the front lines of the fight to defeat ISIL, which has gained a global following for its brutality and propaganda.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to be on the forefront of helping Canadian and Canadian-led forces to defeat this evil,” he said.

Gartner, a global research firm, said it is estimating the number of ISIL fighters worldwide at about 1 million, up from a few hundred thousand just two years ago.