Canadian soldier killed defusing bomb

Cpl. Martin Dubé is the 120th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan. Dubé was killed today while defusing an explosive device.

Cpl. Martin Dubé, 35, was a combat engineer from the 5 Combat Engineer Regiment based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, near Quebec City.

An Afghan police officer was also killed and an Afghan interpreter was injured in the explosion, which occurred about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City at 12:30 p.m. local time, the military said.

At a news conference in Kandahar, Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said Dubé had saved many lives with his work.
"For that he should be remembered and celebrated," Vance said.

The Brigadier-General praised Dubé, noting that the bomb he was dismantling was aimed at passing traffic and could have killed an entire family.

"His actions, his sacrifice, saved the lives of innocents. This is the proudest and most noble accomplishment of any soldier and today that accomplishment was Martin's."

Always willing to help, Dubé was an "energetic" soldier who believed in the mission and "would never let himself get down when things got rough," Vance said.

"He was a skilled perfectionist who took the time to better himself, not only as a human being but also as a soldier," Vance said. " He was a professional, always willing to help anyone in need."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a release, "We are eternally grateful for his sacrifice for this country, while helping to ensure a brighter future for the Afghan people. We are all saddened by this loss."

Dubé is survived by his mother, Marie-Paule, his father, Roger, his brother, Vincent, and his girlfriend, Julie, the military said.

Dubé is the second Canadian to die in Afghanistan in a week — Pte. Alexandre Péloquin was killed last Monday when he stepped on an explosive device.