Canadian soldier falls in Panjwaii

Canadian soldier, Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, 26, died and two other Canadian soldiers were injured Wednesday by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Panjwaii District of southern Afghanistan.

Lt. Boyes was a member of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton. He was 10 days into his second tour in Afghanistan when his foot patrol was struck by the blast 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

At the time of the explosion he was leading a platoon which was mentoring Afghan National Police officers. The two other casualties were treated at the hospital at Kandahar Airfield and are listed in good condition.

"So early in the deployment, Justin's death is going to be difficult to accept by his brothers in arms, but will not deter any of us from continuing with our mission," said Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the commander of Task Force Kandahar.

He was eager to help train Afghan police in order to contribute to the "effort to provide stability to the population so we could, in concert with the Afghan government, extend basic services and humanitarian assistance to those in need."

Boyes had only recently joined the Princess Pats as a member of the regular forces after spending six years in the reserves.

Vance described Lt. Boyes as someone whose Saskatchewan upbringing left an unshakeable mark on a family man devoted to his wife, Alanna, and three-year-old son, James.

"He was an easy-going Prairie boy who preferred sitting around the backyard with good friends, his family and a cold drink," Vance said.

Based at the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar city, Boyes was a member of the Police Operational Mentor and Liaison Team, responsible for professionalizing Afghanistan's disorganized police units.

Training ANP officers has proved one of the more challenging tasks for Canadian troops in Afghanistan, as the force is fraught with corruption and high desertion rates.

Their vulnerability makes them a favourite insurgent target, and they receive the brunt of Taliban attacks against the government.

The ANP, however, is seen as the key to any future stability and its progress has become a matter of urgency as Canada prepares to withdraw its military presence in 2011.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement late Wednesday offering his condolences, "and those of all Canadians," to the soldier's family and friends, as well as wishing a speedy recovery on the two injured soldiers.

"The dedication, bravery and remarkable commitment of Canadians like Lt. Boyes will bring safety and stability to the people of Afghanistan," Harper said. "Their ultimate sacrifice will not be forgotten."

The death of Lt. Boyes – the first for Canadian forces in nearly six weeks, and the 132nd since Canada's Afghan mission began in 2002 – darkens what has already been a bleak several days for international forces in Afghanistan.

Also Wednesday, a Canadian citizen suffered leg injuries in Kabul when Taliban suicide gunmen attacked a UN guest house in the Afghan capital, killing 11 people.

Eight American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in separate IED attacks on Tuesday in Kandahar's Arghandab district, an area that until earlier this year had been under Canadian control.

And 14 Americans, including 11 soldiers, were killed Monday in a rash of helicopter accidents that U.S. military officials said had nothing to do with insurgents.