CityNews.ca
Staff
It's
been another
deadly day
for Canadian
soldiers in
Afghanistan
after three
soldiers were
killed in a
roadside
explosion
Wednesday.
The
open-top
all-terrain
vehicle they
were
travelling
in for a
resupply
mission was
apparently
struck by an
improvised
explosive
device (IED).
They were
between two
checkpoints
when the
blast
occurred.
"It's
less than a
kilometre
between the
two
checkpoints,"
Canadian
Forces top
commander
Brig.-Gen.
Tim Grant
told the
media at
Kandahar
Airfield. "A
determined
enemy was
clearly able
to penetrate
the defences
and the
observation
in the area
to plant
this
device."
Two of
the
deceased have
been
identified
as Cpl.
Stephen
Frederick
Bouzane and
Pte. Joel
Vincent
Wiebe, both
of 3rd
Battalion
Princess
Patricia's
Canadian
Light
Infantry.
The name
of the third
soldier had
not yet been
released.
Some
questioned
whether the
soldiers
were in a
vehicle that
left them
vulnerable,
to which
Grant
responded; "No.
This is an
unfortunate
accident."
"The
vehicle was
appropriate
to the task
at hand ...
It was in
terrain that
was suited
to this
vehicle, as
opposed to
others."
Their
deaths bring
the number
of Canadians
killed in
Afghanistan
to 60 since
forces were
stationed
there in
2002.
Meanwhile,
in fighting
elsewhere in
the country
Canadian and
Afghan
soldiers
reportedly
killed 15
Taliban
fighters in
a fierce
battle in
southern
Kandahar.
Two
Canadians
were injured
in the
fighting, as
were three
Afghan
troops.
The
latest
deaths come
on the same
day as the
funeral for
25-year-old
Trooper
Darryl
Caswell in
Bowmanville,
Ont. Caswell
was killed
by a similar
attack on
June 11.
Joint
Task Force
Afghanistan
and other
soldiers
from the
ISAF
community
pay tribute
to fallen
soldiers
during a
ramp
ceremony
held at the
Kandahar Air
Field.
Soldiers
slowly carry
their fallen
comrades,
Sergeant
Christos
Karigiannis,
Corporal
Stephen
Frederick
Bouzane, and
Private Joel
Vincent
Wiebe, to
the waiting
C130
Hercules
transport
for the
journey back
to Canada
All three
soldiers
were members
of Charlie
Company, 3rd
Battalion
Princess
Patricia’s
Canadian
Light
Infantry (3
PPCLI) from
CFB
Edmonton.