[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

KIAs Identified. Girouard was RSM of the 1st Bn RCR. RIP to them both and condolences to their families.

CTV.ca News Staff

Updated: Tue. Nov. 28 2006 7:58 AM ET

Two Canadian soldiers killed in a suicide attack on their military convoy in southern Afghanistan were identified Tuesday.

Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard and Cpl. Albert Storm were killed in a suicide bomb attack near Kandahar. Both soldiers were members of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, based in Petawawa, Ontario.

Girouard was from Bathurst, New Brunswick, and Storm was a native of Fort Erie, Ontario.


The soldiers' identities have been released amidst news of another suicide attack against Canadians on Tuesday.


A suicide attack occurred near a Canadian convoy in Panjwaii as a patrol made its way back to the main base, confirmed CTV's Steve Chao in Afghanistan.


One soldier was injured receiving flash burns but his condition is not considered serious.


The vehicle was the same Bison Armoured Carrier that was targeted in Monday's attack that killed Girouard and Storm.


The soldiers on Monday had been helping with reconstruction projects outside Kandahar where heavy clashes had taken place over the past several months.

Chao said the suicide bomber pulled alongside the Canadian convoy in a vehicle and detonated his explosives. The bomber was reported to have been driving a small minivan.

Kandahar province has been relatively calm recently aside from some sporadic fighting.

"There has been talk for a while of a relative peace, and a hope that peace would last through the winter," Chao said Monday. "This obviously has not happened."

"It's also becoming more clear the Taliban is using suicide bombers as a main key tactic to attack NATO forces down here and instill a sense of fear in Kandahar City."

Brig.-Gen. Grant said the most common type of attack by insurgents is either small arms, or rocket-propelled grenades.

So the fact they're resorting to suicide bombings "shows they are desperate right now and they are trying to send a message."

"The professionalism, though, of NATO forces and the Canadians in particular will make sure they carry on with their mission here. We are not deterred by this attack," he added.

For Canada, there have been no fatalities since Sgt. Darcy Tedford and Pte. Blake Williamson died in an ambush west of Kandahar City on Oct. 14.

There are about 2,500 Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan. Including Monday's deaths, 44 have died since 2002, plus one diplomat.

© Copyright 2006 CTV Inc.