5 Canadians injured in mortar attack on armoured vehicles east of Kandahar

[Spazito]

PANJWAII, Afghanistan (CP) - Five Canadian soldiers have been wounded in new battles west of Kandahar, but their injuries are not considered serious.

The soldiers were injured when Canadian light armoured vehicles came under mortar attack around 6:30 p.m. local time.

snip

Hours earlier, Canadian soldiers came under rifle fire. In the clash that followed, one suspected Taliban militant was shot dead by Canadian troops. Three suspected insurgents were detained.

The clashes came after earlier battles and a friendly-fire incident left five Canadians dead and dozens injured in the Panjwaii district, west of Kandahar city.

more (only one more paragraph)

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=62e15dc8-3a88-4ac0-a7c9-a3ad440d9168&k=7753


The names of the 33 Canadians who have died in Afghanistan since 2002

CP) - Since 2002, one Canadian diplomat and 32 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. Here is a list of the deaths:

2006

Sept. 4 - Pte. Mark Graham who was based at CFB Petawawa killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in the Panjwaii district. About 30 others wounded, five seriously.

Sept. 3 - Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish and Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, all based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., and one other soldier whose name was withheld at the request of his famly, killed in fighting in Panjwaii district.

Aug. 22 - Cpl. David Braun, who was based at Shilo, Man., killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kandahar City.

Aug. 11 - Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, of Comox, B.C., stationed with 1st Field Ambulance, based in Edmonton, killed in suicide attack.

more

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=40296052-df3a-4b3f-bd17-767ad8ac04ed&k=58978

In 2002 - 4 deaths - due to US "friendly fire"

In 2003 - 2 deaths

In 2004 - 1 death

In 2005 - 1 death

In 2006 - 25 deaths

[daleo]

1. I heard 38 injured, 1 dead now, from the friendly fire air attack

So, that is
- 4 dead, 9 wounded on Saturday
- 1 dead, 38 wounded on Sunday
- 5 wounded today

5 dead, 52 wounded in three days. A Globe article said that probably 1600 of the 2200 Canadian troops would have remained "behind the wire" (statement by Dr. David Beruson of Univ of Calgary), leaving 600 troops in action. So the casualty rate is nearly 10% now, assuming Burceson is correct.

[Spazito]

2. I don't see how this casualty rate can continue without major

consequences to our armed forces overall yet the casualty rate continues to grow. I have yet to hear squat from harper on this issue or, specifically, on the "friendly fire" (geez how I despise that phony terminology)issue.