French President Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirmed his country's commitment to the mission in Afghanistan Wednesday, just one day after 10 French soldiers were killed in a Taliban ambush.
After arriving in Kabul, Sarkozy visited a military chapel where the bodies of the soldiers were being held.
Later, he spoke to French troops involved in the deadly battle -- which took place about 50 kilometres east of Kabul.
"Even though the toll is so high, you should be proud of what you are doing. The work that you're doing here is indispensable," Sarkozy told the troops. "We're going to make sure that the means are put in place to ensure that this doesn't happen again."
The French soldiers were taking part in a reconnaissance mission in the mountains of Surobi when a 100-strong group of Taliban militants attacked.
"This kind of devastation for the French forces may make it more difficult for him (Sarkozy) to gain the confidence of the French people that increasing the number of troops here on the ground in Afghanistan is the right way to go for France," The Globe and Mail's Gloria Galloway told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday from Kandahar.
Sarkozy said Tuesday that his commitment to the 40-nation mission "remains intact."
The latest deaths bring the total number of French troops killed in Afghanistan to 22.
The attack marks the deadliest against international troops in the country since June 2005, when 16 U.S. troops were killed in Kunar province when their helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered condolences to France Tuesday over the loss of its soldiers. He said the loss of lives is sad, but that all NATO countries in Afghanistan must stay the course so that a stable environment can be accomplished.
With files from The Associated Press
