Roadside bomb kills 6 Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan
04 July 2007 - 12:45; updated 12:50; updated 14:00

Six Canadian soldiers were killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle while travelling along a well known road, the alliance said, the deadliest attack on the force this month in the country.

The six men and a local Afghan interpreter died when their armored vehicle hit the device about 20 km (13 miles) southwest of the southern city of Kandahar, which is home to Canada's 2,600-strong mission.

It was the single deadliest attack involving Canadian troops in Afghanistan since six soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in early April. So far 66 have died since Ottawa sent troops to Afghanistan in 2002 to help fight Taliban militants.

"Clearly, they have managed to kill six great young Canadians today which is an absolute tragedy," Brigadier-General Tim Grant told a televised news conference in Kandahar.

The blast occurred as the troops were returning in a convoy of 12 vehicles from a joint operation with the Afghan national army.

"As with every attack we will look at what has happened and will decide at that time if there is something we need to do to increase the protection for our soldiers," said Grant.

The deaths will only increase doubts among Canadians about the wisdom of the mission, which is due to end in February 2009. Critics say it is focused too much on fighting and not on rebuilding the country.

One interpreter was also killed in the attack. The identity of the soldiers was not given. British, Canadian and Dutch troops make up the bulk of NATO in the south, part of the main bastion for Taliban guerrillas.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest since April when six Canadian soldiers were killed in a similar incident. It brings the total number of foreign troops killed in action in Afghanistan to over 70 this year.

Afghanistan is going through its bloodiest phase of violence in the past 17 months, the worst since U.S.-led troops overthrew the Taliban's radical Islamic government in 2001.

The Taliban largely rely on suicide attacks and roadside bomb blasts in the their campaign against foreign troops and the government.