Three Canadian soldiers were killed and five wounded in an insurgent attack on their armored vehicle in Afghanistan, the military said Wednesday.
The explosive attack occurred at 9:30 a.m. local time in the Zhari District in the south, said Brigadier-General Dennis Thompson, the top Canadian commander in Kandahar.
"The soldiers were conducting a security patrol when the attack occurred," he said. "All eight soldiers were evacuated to the Kandahar Airfield where three were confirmed dead by medical officials.
"Of the five soldiers who were injured, one is reported to be in critical condition, one is in serious but stable condition, two are in good condition, and one has been treated and released."
The deceased soldiers were to end their Afghan tour later this month, Thompson commented. Tragically, the insurgents found a weakness in their military vehicle's armor, he said, adding: "Sometimes the insurgents get lucky."
Canada maintains a contingent of 2,500 soldiers in the Kandahar region as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. Since the start of the mission in 2002, 96 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died.
