147th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan on Canadian Forces Day

A Canadian soldier was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday when Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement to mark the ninth annual Canadian Forces Day.

Sergeant Martin Goudreault, 35, killed by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol 15 km southwest of Kandahar city, said Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance, commander of the 2,800-man Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.

The patrol was searching for a weapons cache in a village, where Insurgents hide their weapons among civilians, Vance was quoted by Canadian media as saying.

Goudreault, a 15-year veteran and a "model soldier" on his third tour in Afghanistan, is the 147th Canadian soldier to die while serving in the Afghanistan mission since 2002.

Four Canadian civilians have also been killed, including one diplomat, one journalist and two aid workers.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Harper said in the statement that he joined with more than 30 million Canadians to pay tribute to the men and women of the Canadian Forces and the outstanding work they do in Canada and around the world in difficult and dangerous circumstances.

The First Sunday in June is Canadian Forces Day, a day dedicated to honoring the contributions of those who serve, both at home and abroad.

"Every day, in Canada and around the world, the brave men and women of the Canadian Forces work in the most challenging of circumstances to defend Canadian security at home and promote peace, democracy and the rule of law abroad," Harper said.

He praised the Canadian Forces members in fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, protecting ships from pirates off the coast of Somalia, "patrolling Canada's North to protect our sovereignty, or helping reconstruction efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti."

Harper also promised long-term investment in new technology and equipment to ensure the Canadian Forces have the tools they need to do the difficult work.

Source: Xinhua