Three Canadian soldiers, who had nearly finished their tour of duty, were killed during a fatal ambush in Afghanistan's volatile Zhari district on Wednesday morning. Another five soldiers were wounded in the attack.
The soldiers from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were patrol in a light armoured vehicle (LAV) when they came under attack, said Brig. Gen. Denis Thompson.
"It certainly says that we are not invulnerable," Thompson said. "We do not own a vehicle that's impervious... sometimes the insurgents get lucky."
All of the soldiers who were killed were members of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- Cpl. Andrew Grenon
- Cpl. Mike Seggie
- Pte. Chad Horn
The three killed had been nearing the end of their six-month tour and were preparing to return to Canada.
"The brave soldiers killed today were coming to the end of their tour and it saddens me to think of their loved ones awaiting their return later this month," Thompson said.
He released few details about the attack in Kandahar province, except to say the soldiers were not killed by an improvised explosive device, but by a rare direct attack at about 9:30 a.m. local time.
Thompson did say, however, that the soldiers fire back with small arms and other weapons.
That sets the incident apart from most previous attacks that have killed Canadians, the Globe and Mail's Graeme Smith told 麻豆影视net.
"Normally when we see large numbers of Canadian soldiers killed it means the Taliban buried a giant bomb in the road and blew up one of our vehicles. In this case it seems the Taliban found a way of firing something, we don't know exactly what, at the Canadian soldiers."
Of the five soldiers wounded in the attack, one is in critical condition, one is in serious but stable condition, two are considered to be in good condition and one has been treated and released, Thompson said.
He had kind words to say for each of the soldiers.
Seggie "often made himself the brunt of jokes just to get a laugh out of his section," Thompson said. "He was a great communicator and had learned several Pashtun phrases in order to work better with the local population.
Seggie was from Winnipeg and his family issued a statement Wednesday saying, "We love Mike very much and we are proud of all that he has accomplished. Mike was very proud of his service and believed in what he was doing."
"Mike loved life and lived it to the fullest, there was never a dull moment when Mike was around. He enjoyed driving his 1968 Baraccuda and showing it off any time he had the chance.
"He was the best son/brother/uncle anyone could have ever asked for."
Known to his friends as "Drew" or "G," the 23-year-old Grenon was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
"He brought confidence to those around him and inspired the first-tour guys, making them feel safe," Thompson said.
Seggie "often made himself the brunt of jokes just to get a laugh out of his section," Thompson said. "He was a great communicator and had learned several Pashtun phrases in order to work better with the local population.
The 21-year-old, who was considered "cool under fire" came from a long line of "proud Princess Patricias" as both his father and uncle served with the battalion.
Horn, 21, had "unlimited potential and was admired by his peers," Thompson said.
"Many in his company saw him as the best LAV gunner," Thompson said, referring to the light armoured vehicle used by Canadians. "His ability to act under fire saved many lives during the tour."
In total, 96 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have now been killed in Afghanistan.
