Kandahar, Afghanistan - Four Canadian soldiers were killed when their armoured jeep - called a G-wagon - struck an improvised explosive device, 70 kilometres north of Kandahar city, around 7:30 a.m. local time Saturday. Three of the men died at the scene, near Gumbad, a small outpost established by the Canadians two months ago. The fourth died en route to the hospital at the coalition air base in Kandahar.
The Department of National Defence identified the soldiers as (pictured top to bottom):
Cpl. Matthew Dinning, born in Richmond Hill, Ont., and stationed at Petawawa, Ont.
Lt. William Turner, born in Toronto and stationed at Edmonton.
Bombardier Myles Mansell, born in Victoria and stationed at Victoria.
Cpl. Randy Payne, stationed at Wainwright, Alta.
The four soldiers were all in the same vehicle, which was part of a mixed convoy that included more heavily armoured vehicles. The force of the explosion blew their armoured jeep onto its side.
The four soldiers were in a jeep that was part of a mixed convoy made up of more heavily armoured vehicles, such as LAVs and Bisons.
It was the most serious incident to affect Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan since a friendly fire incident in 2002 when a U.S. pilot bombed Canadian troops by accident, killing four.
The bodies will be returned to Canada early in the week.
Canada has 2,300 soldiers in southern Afghanistan and took command in February of a multinational force fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda members.
Taliban militants have been stepping up attacks in recent weeks against coalition and Afghan forces across southern Afghanistan, a former Taliban stronghold.
Sixteen Canadians, including a senior diplomat, have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
Canada's newly elected Conservative government has decided not to lower the Canadian flag to half-mast every time a Canadian soldier is killed, saying the automatic flag-lowering was a break with tradition by the Liberals.
Thanks Mr. Harper. Thanks Mr. O Conner. The sacrifice of this countries sons and daughters should not be trivialised by the simple half-masting of a flag. Surely the act of lowering the flag must be a hindrance on the tax-payer or something.
The Department of National Defence identified the soldiers as (pictured top to bottom):
Cpl. Matthew Dinning, born in Richmond Hill, Ont., and stationed at Petawawa, Ont.
Lt. William Turner, born in Toronto and stationed at Edmonton.
Bombardier Myles Mansell, born in Victoria and stationed at Victoria.
Cpl. Randy Payne, stationed at Wainwright, Alta.
The four soldiers were all in the same vehicle, which was part of a mixed convoy that included more heavily armoured vehicles. The force of the explosion blew their armoured jeep onto its side.
The four soldiers were in a jeep that was part of a mixed convoy made up of more heavily armoured vehicles, such as LAVs and Bisons.
It was the most serious incident to affect Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan since a friendly fire incident in 2002 when a U.S. pilot bombed Canadian troops by accident, killing four.
The bodies will be returned to Canada early in the week.
Canada has 2,300 soldiers in southern Afghanistan and took command in February of a multinational force fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda members.
Taliban militants have been stepping up attacks in recent weeks against coalition and Afghan forces across southern Afghanistan, a former Taliban stronghold.
Sixteen Canadians, including a senior diplomat, have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.
Canada's newly elected Conservative government has decided not to lower the Canadian flag to half-mast every time a Canadian soldier is killed, saying the automatic flag-lowering was a break with tradition by the Liberals.
Thanks Mr. Harper. Thanks Mr. O Conner. The sacrifice of this countries sons and daughters should not be trivialised by the simple half-masting of a flag. Surely the act of lowering the flag must be a hindrance on the tax-payer or something.
