By ANTARA,
Ottawa : A Canadian soldier was killed Saturday by an improvised explosive device in southern Afghanistan, bringing to 108 the number of Canadian military losses, the commander of the country’s base in Kandahar said.
Combat engineer Sean David Greenfield, 25, was killed when a roadside bomb exploded under his armored vehicle in Zhari district, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Kandahar, commander Denis Thompson was quoted by AFP as telling a press conference broadcast on Canadian television.
None of the other soldiers in the vehicle was hurt in the incident, said Thompson.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement offering his
condolences over Greenfield’s death.
“The Canadian mission in Afghanistan is a difficult one, but the Canadian forces are making a difference in the lives of the Afghan people by maintaining security and stability that will allow the country to rebuild and look to the future,” Harper said.
Eleven Canadian soldiers have been killed since December by such explosive devices, which are the leading cause of casualties for the 2,700 Canadian troops that have been deployed in and around Kandahar since their country’s mission in Afghanistan began in 2002.
A diplomat and two humanitarian workers have also been killed in Afghanistan. (*)