Two Canadian soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
One of the soldiers has been identified as Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23. The second soldier's name has not been released.
Bobbitt was a member of the 5th Combat Engineer Regiment. The two soldiers had been in Kandahar since March with the 2e Batallion of the Royal 22e Regiment, also known as the Van Doos, based in Valcartier, Que.
A third soldier was seriously injured and taken to hospital, where he is in stable condition.
Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said the soldiers were killed Saturday when their re-supply convoy was hit by two improvised explosive devices in the Zhari district, west of Kandahar City.
The two soldiers had left their vehicle to secure the area after an initial explosion, when a second IED exploded around 3:20 p.m. local time.
According to Vance, Bobbitt, known as "Bob," was both well-liked and well-known for his technical knowledge.
"He was a hard worker, and a great competitor," Vance said. "He excelled in all that he did, whether it was at Guitar Hero, or on a rink."
Bobbitt had just been promoted to corporal.
He is survived by his spouse, Felicia, his brother, Jonathan, and his parents, Liane and Yvan.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay expressed his "deepest sympathies" to the families of both soldiers.
"These soldiers are brave, honourable Canadians who deserve the gratitude and respect of this nation. Their commitment to service demonstrates Canadian values and traditions in the finest sense," MacKay said Sunday in a statement. "This cowardly act will not deter the resolve of Canadians to better the lives of the Afghan people."
The bodies of the two soldiers are already on their way home after a ramp ceremony at the NATO base in Kandahar.
Maj. Yannick Pepin, commander of the 51st Field Engineer Squadron, told reporters that Bobbitt had a great sense of humour.
"He was kind of the clown of the section," said Pepin, who also noted that Bobbitt was close friends with the unnamed soldier.
"They were very brave men, very courageous and very proud of what they were doing," Pepin said. "It's very difficult for us, the loss of these two."
Canadian Press reporter Dene Moore said the troops who worked with the two soldiers will take some time to mourn their friends before continuing with their mission.
"We hear from the fellow soldiers and the commanders who worked with these young men that while they're saddened and they will take some time obviously to deal with the loss of their friends, that these soldiers were proud of what they were doing and in fact they're not going to allow their deaths to be in vain," Moore told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel on Sunday.
According to Vance, the two soldiers were part of a group of engineers who clear roads of IEDs. The two likely helped defuse half of the roadside bombs found in Kandahar province in July, Vance said.
"I can say with confidence that these two brave engineers saved the lives of dozens of innocent people last month alone," Vance said.
Difficult July for NATO troops
The news of the Canadian soldiers' deaths comes on the heels of the deadliest month for international troops in Afghanistan since 2001.
Seventy-four foreign troops were killed in July, including five Canadians.
Officials had expected a surge in deaths with the increased presence of American troops in Afghanistan.
"I ask that you do not succumb to the temptation of considering the mission as a failure," Vance said.
He pointed out that on Saturday, Task Force Kandahar halted operations at two IED-making factories. Soldiers confiscated suicide vests and bomb-making materials.
"I assure you that hundreds of thousands of Kandahar citizens are deeply grateful for the work of soldiers like (these two)," Vance said.
"Being unable to protect yourself and your family is horribly frightening -- so (these soldiers), along with Afghan and coalition soldiers, are seen as protectors motivated by selflessness and honour."
The total number of Canadian soldiers killed during the Afghan mission is now at 127.
With files from The Canadian Press
