Six Canadian soldiers were treated and released from hospital after sustaining injuries in a gunbattle with insurgents in Afghanistan early Friday.
The firefight erupted in the Zhari district west of Kandahar city after the soldiers were forced to evacuate their vehicle when they struck an improvised explosive device.
The soldiers were ambushed by the insurgents soon after leaving their vehicle, and wounded in the ensuing gunbattle.
The soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to the hospital at Kandahar Airfield for their injuries, which were described as minor. They have since been treated and released.
The firefight could be heard from the nearby Joint District Co-ordination Centre, The Canadian Press reported. A number of dignitaries, such as Brig.-Gen. Dennis Thompson and top Canadian civilian official Elissa Golberg, attended an event at the newly built facility.
Meanwhile, Canadian and Afghan troops are involved in a joint operation to disrupt insurgent activities in Band-E-Timor and Maywand district, just west of Kandahar, the military said.
The military is expected to release more information on the operation, which has been dubbed a Pashto name that means "Southern Beast."
Canada currently has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. Defence Minister Peter MacKay confirmed in July that Canada would boost its numbers in the south of the war-torn country by 200.
The extra troops would be part of the increases needed to meet the recommendations of the Manley report on Afghanistan which was endorsed by Parliament, MacKay said.
With files from The Canadian Press
