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RIP 3 Brave Canadian Soldiers
Posted on 12/13/2008 4:54:45 PM PST by fanfan
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan–Three more Canadian soldiers died Saturday after an improvised explosive device detonated on a stretch of road just west of Kandahar city, pushing Canada's death toll from the Afghan mission to 103.
The Canadian Forces did not immediately release the names of the dead soldiers or their hometowns as it continued efforts to reach all next-of-kin Saturday, but a spokesperson said all "primary family members" had already been contacted.
The latest deaths come just eight days after Warrant Officer Robert Wilson, Cpl. Mark McLaren and Pte. Demetrios Diplaros were killed when their armoured vehicle struck an IED while on patrol on the same stretch road where Saturday's attack occurred, Highway 1.
The incident occurred just west of Kandahar city about 9 a.m. local time - on the border between the Arghandab and Zhari districts - close to the village of Senjaray.
A fourth soldier was injured and was listed as being in fair condition.
It's believed the three men were responding to a report that an IED was being planted on the highway which runs from Kandahar city all the way to the border of Helmand province when it exploded.
IED's or improvised explosive devices have become the weapon of choice for the Taliban over the past two years. More than half of the soldiers killed here have died from IED's as well as 17 this year alone.
News of the latest deaths spread quickly through Canadian bases throughout Kandahar province and hit the soldiers stationed there hard.
"It's bad business," said one veteran soldier.
One soldier who lost a friend to an IED blast a couple of years ago said it almost prevented him from signing up for another tour.
"It's such a waste," he sighed.
The area near Senjaray had not been considered to be a Taliban stronghold until just recently and the majority of attacks had been to the west of the region.
"When the Taliban first ran away from here during that time, out of every 100 persons - 95 per cent were secure and with the other five per cent there was unsecurity," said Afghan National Army Sgt. Lahor Shah Watanwal, who works with the Canadian OMLT (Operational Liason Mentoring Team) to check and clear IED's on the highway from the village of Howz-e-Madad to the Helmand border every day.
The number of Taliban and their supporters has risen from five to 20 per cent since then he said.
Clearing the 30 km of Highway 1 takes between 3 and 8 hours every day.
"We do get tired of this but it has its moments I guess," said Capt. Joe Hentz, of London, Ont., who is in charge of the OMLT.
"We do it the old fashioned way," he said. "We usually find them in culverts. A lot of time they're on the side of the road for the dismounts as well. They see us doing something and change their tactics."
The Taliban has been seeking to disrupt traffic on the highway which is a major supply route out of Kandahar city and all the way to a new U.S. base in the Maywand district. Camp Ramrod has a full brigade of U.S. soldiers stationed there in hopes of clamping down on Taliban activity in the area.
"In the coming months the fact that something will be there - day in-day out - I think we'll finally be able to shake control from the Taliban in the area," explained U.S. Lt.-Col. Dan Hurlbut.
"Because of what they use the area for - mostly logistics and transit - they don't really stand out and they're part of the people," he said. "So trying to differentiate between who the good guys are and the bad guys are - has been extremely difficult and they haven't seemed to want to come out and fight us yet."
"We're looking forward to that day because it will make it a lot easier on us because we can shoot back."
Construction on Camp Ramrod only began three months ago and hasn't been without its challenges Hurlbut said. Getting such simple things as enough water and fuel has been difficult, especially with the Taliban continuing its efforts to harass traffic on the highway.
"We're 80 km from an established base and it's a long 80 km along a route that is heavily travelled by the enemy," he added.
Ping.
Damn.
Hope nobody I know.
Rest In Peace.
Thoughts go out to the families at this devastating time.
Someone knows them.
This shouldn’t need to happen.
Please pass along my broken heart.
*HUGS*
RIP 3 Brave Canadian Soldiers
Thank you Kathy.
:-)
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Rest in Peace, Soldiers.
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