One Canadian soldier has been killed and three injured after an improvised explosive device detonated near their armoured vehicle in Afghanistan's Shah Wali Kowt district Wednesday morning.
The soldier who was killed has been identified as Trooper Brian Richard Good, 42, from the Royal Canadian Dragoons from CFB Petawawa, Ont. Good, whose hometown was Ottawa, was serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment battle group.
The three injured soldiers are members of the same battle group. They were evacuated by helicopter to the hospital at Kandahar Air Field and are reported to be in good condition.
The soldiers were "participating in an ongoing operation when the incident occurred" around 8 a.m. local time, approximately 35 kilometres north of Kandahar City, according to a statement issued by Col. Jamie Cade, acting commander of Task Force Kandahar.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Cade would not elaborate on the nature of the operation that Good and his fellow soldiers were engaged in.
In his statement, Cade described Good as "an easygoing individual who would do anything for anyone. He was active in his community and the best neighbour you could ask for. He had a distinctive laugh, a smile that reached from ear to ear."
Cade said Good was devoted to his wife, Sandra, and two daughters, of whom he spoke often.
"We are truly saddened by the death of Trooper Good, and his friends and family are in our thoughts and prayers," Cade said.
The fatality brings Canada's troop death toll in Afghanistan to 107 since the mission began in 2002.
Over the last month alone, 10 Canadian soldiers have been killed, all by improvised explosive devices.
"It is definitely a plague and it is difficult to fight," Cade told reporters. "It's a few people implanting explosives in commonly used routes and some not-so-common routes."
According to Cade, officials will review the latest incident, as they do all IED incidents, to identify any operational or intelligence weaknesses.
Cade said that despite the rise in IED attacks against Canadian troops, soldiers are finding more IEDs than they strike, which is a result of "time, work and effort, a wide amount of intelligence collection and technology."
Cade credited members of the Afghan National Army for finding a large number of IEDs, a feat he attributed to the ongoing training they receive from Canadian troops.
