Another Sad Friday...

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Canadian soldier killed in explosion in southern Afghanistan
The Associated Press

RIP,Soldier....
Thanks from all my family,who will sleep safely tonight,because you have given all...

Published: September 29, 2006


KABUL, Afghanistan A Canadian soldier was killed Friday in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, while an insurgent attack on a police checkpoint left three dead, officials said.

A Colombian aid worker and two Afghan nationals were also released, nearly three weeks after they were kidnapped by gunmen west of Kabul, a police official said.

The soldier, who was not immediately identified, was killed in southern Kandahar province when he stepped on a roadside bomb while conducting a patrol, said Lt. Carole Brown, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Forces in Ottawa. No other soldiers or civilians were wounded.

The explosion came near the end of Canada's deadliest month in Afghanistan, with 10 soldiers killed. In all, 37 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in the country since 2002.

Meanwhile, two suspected Taliban militants and a policeman were killed in the clash at the police checkpoint in southern Zabul province, said Jailan Khan, the province's deputy police chief. Three police were also wounded in the attack.

Police said they recovered the bodies of the militants along with their weapons, Khan said.

Southern Afghanistan has seen a spike in militant violence, the worst outbreak since a U.S.-led invasion in late 2001 ousted the Taliban regime from power. Militants have increasingly resorted to the use of roadside and suicide bombings against foreign and Afghan government forces.

U.S. President George W. Bush, delivering the latest in a series of speeches on the war on terrorism, admitted to setbacks in Afghanistan on Friday, particularly in the training of police. But he predicted ultimate victory over resurgent Taliban forces there and against terrorists everywhere.

NATO has about 8,000 forces — mostly British and Canadian — in southern Afghanistan, where they took over military control from the U.S.-led coalition in August. NATO commanders have said they need another 2,500 troops plus greater air support to crush the Taliban threat more quickly.

The Czech Republic's defense ministry said Friday it plans to contribute up to 190 troops to the force next year. The move still must be approved by the government and parliament.

The Czech Republic has some 100 troops in Afghanistan and the number is expected to rise to 150 by the end of the year when the Czechs take command of Kabul's airport.

Last week, NATO's top commander, U.S. Gen. James L. Jones, said Romania had agreed to send a battalion in October and Britain and Canada would add to their forces.

The Colombian aid worker and two Afghans were kidnapped in western Afghanistan on Sept. 10. They were released to French Embassy officials in western Wardak province on Friday after a ransom of $120,000 was paid, said Mohammed Assan, the provincial police chief.

Assan said he did not know who paid the money and said that police were not involved in the deal. The three, who work for a French relief group, were reported to be in good health.

A French Foreign Ministry official said France never pays ransoms to free hostages. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

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Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto.