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News Release
Two Canadian soldiers killed, eight wounded in Afghanistan
CEFCOM NR-06.012 - July 22, 2006
OTTAWA - Two Canadian soldiers were killed and eight wounded in a suicide vehicle attack that occurred at 5:20 p.m. local time today (8:50 a.m. EDT), five kilometres west of Kandahar City on Highway One.
Deceased are:
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Corporal Francisco Gomez of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton; and
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Corporal Jason Patrick Warren of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada based in Montreal.
Their next-of-kin have been notified and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Corporal Gomez and Corporal Warren. The repatriation of their remains is now being planned.
All of the wounded were evacuated by helicopter to the multinational hospital at Kandahar Airfield. Five of the wounded soldiers have already been released from the hospital while the other three are in good condition with non life-threatening injuries. By all accounts, the personal protective equipment worn by these soldiers did its job yet again and saved them from more serious injuries.
The soldiers were travelling in a combat service support convoy that was returning to Kandahar Airfield after successful operations in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. local time (10 a.m. EDT) a second suicide bomber attempted to attack the convoy in a heavily populated area not far from the site of the initial attack as it pressed on after the first incident. While the convoy was not affected, at least three civilian bystanders were killed and many more were injured in this indiscriminate attack.
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. There are significant risks involved in these operations, but we are achieving results by extending the reach of Afghan authorities and diminishing the capacity of the Taliban to challenge coalition forces. Today's tragic incident will not deter us from our mission and we will continue to work towards creating a brighter future for the long-suffering people of Afghanistan.
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NOTE TO EDITOR:
Photographs of Cpl. Gomez and Cpl. Warren are available on the Combat Camera website (search under their last names) at: http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca
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