Canadian KIlled in Afganistan.......

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

More sad news for freedom...

Four Canadian and three coalition forces casualties following attack northwest of Kandahar.
OTTAWA, March 29 /CNW Telbec/ - One Canadian soldier was killed, and
three others injured when insurgents attacked them with mortars, rocket-
propelled grenade and small arms fire in northern Helmand province,
approximately 110 km northwest of Kandahar.
One other coalition soldier was also killed. Wounded in the same incident
were another coalition soldier, and a soldier from the Afghan National Army.
Initial reports indicate that coalition forces killed an unconfirmed number of
insurgents in this action. The incident occurred at approximately 2:45 a.m.
local time (5:15 p.m. March 28, EST).
Private Robert Costall, born in Thunder Bay, Ontario was killed in the
attack.
The identities of the injured soldiers are being withheld, as they are
expected to return to duty.
All of the soldiers were part of the Canadian Battle Group based on the
1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (1 PPCLI) stationed
in Edmonton.
Immediately after the incident, a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter from
Kandahar Airfield flew the casualties from the site of the attack to the
coalition hospital at Kandahar Airfield.
Canada's mission in Afghanistan is part of our contribution to the
international campaign to help bring stability and security to the people of
Afghanistan. The overarching goal is to help the Afghan people achieve peace
by preventing their nation from relapsing into a failed state that gives
terrorist and terrorist organizations a safe haven.
There are significant risks involved in these operations, but Canadian
Forces members are among the best trained, and most experienced soldiers in
the world. They are well led, well equipped, and fully prepared for the
mission in Afghanistan.

LA VERSION FRANCAISE SUIVRA SOUS PEU.

NOTE TO EDITOR:
Images related to this incident will be available on the CF Combat Camera
website at:
http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca



For further information: (613) 996-2353/54, After hours: (613) 792-2973,
http://www.forces.gc.ca

[John McGillivray]

Cdn soldier killed in firefight outside Kandahar
CTV.ca News Staff
A Canadian soldier serving in Afghanistan has been killed and three others wounded in a firefight with Taliban insurgents in a remote area outside Kandahar, military officials have confirmed.
An American soldier was also killed in the action, which took place Tuesday night in Helmand Province, about 110 kilometres north of Kandahar.
At least eight Afghan National Army soldiers were also reported to be killed.
The Canadian soldier was identified as Pte. Robert Costall, of the 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.
Costall, believed to be 22, was born in Thunder Bay, Ont.
He is survived by his wife Chrissy and son Colin, who is one year old. Chrissy and Colin live in Namao, which is just north of Edmonton.
Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, commander of Task Force Afghanistan, said the clash began when the Taliban attacked an Afghan Army convoy with assault rifles and roadside bombs.
A quick reaction force of Canadian troops was sent to a forward base in the area by helicopter. They were lent backup by British fighter jets, U.S. helicopters and B-52 bombers.
Costall was killed as Taliban fighters tried to overrun the outpost using mortars, rocket-
propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Fraser said Costall died in the firefight defending his fellow troops. "We will not forget his sacrifice," Fraser told reporters early Wednesday.
"Our thoughts are with his family today, and with the families of the injured."
The wounded soldiers were evacuated to the multi-national hospital at Kandahar Airfield.
Fraser said they suffered "non life-threatening injuries" and described their condition as "stable."
A release from the Department of Defence said the identities of the injured soldiers would not be released because they are expected to return to duty.
The Sangin district of Helmand Province, where the battle took place, is known to be a hotbed of both insurgency and drug trafficking.
The U.S. military said in a statement: "Coalition forces employed a variety of combined arms to include close air support and are believed to have killed at least a dozen enemy insurgents."
Fraser would only say a "significant" number of Taliban died.
The news comes a day after a suspected mortar attack on Kandahar Airfield -- the base where Canadian and coalition troops are located. No one was hurt in that attack.
There were also several roadside bombings in and around Kandahar in recent days that left several dead.
CTV's Ellen Pinchuk, reporting Wednesday morning from Kandahar, said there have been rumours about stepped-up attacks by the Taliban.
"Their leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, has been saying that there would be a pre-offensive by the Taliban," Pinchuk told Newsnet.
"Military representatives say they believe that's a myth, but they do recognize that the Taliban tend to string together types of attacks, where you'll see three, four, or five in a row, followed by a period of calm."
There are about 2,200 Canadian soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan. The troops are committed in the region until early next year, although Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier has warned the international community may ask for continued support until a NATO-led mission ends in 2011.
Costall is the 12th Canadian to die in Afghanistan since 2002 -- 11 soldiers and one Canadian diplomat, Glyn Berry.
Four Canadians died in 2002 when they were mistakenly bombed by a U.S. fighter jet while on a training mission. Four were killed in suicide attacks or roadside bombs, while three died in two separate vehicle accidents.
The violence in the area has renewed calls for an open debate in Parliament about whether Canada should cut its mission in Afghanistan short.
NDP leader Jack Layton has been the most vocal about having an open debate, demanding an emergency debate be held on the issue as early as April 5.
However, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said repeatedly the mission is not open to debate.
Harper has not specified the length of time that Canadian soldiers will remain in the region. Military planners have suggested that Canada could have a presence in the country for the next decade.
A recent survey suggested 52 per cent of Canadians support the mission in Afghanistan.
With a report from CTV's Ellen Pinchuk and files from The Canadian Press
http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/A...soldier_060328