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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Afghan blasts kill Canada troops | Afghan blasts kill Canada troops |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Four Canadian soldiers have been killed and eight injured in two separate blasts in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, say Canadian officials. | Four Canadian soldiers have been killed and eight injured in two separate blasts in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, say Canadian officials. |
| The deaths bring the number of Canadians killed while serving in the conflict in Afghanistan to 116. | |
| An Afghan interpreter was also killed in one of the attacks, and a second Afghan national was injured. | An Afghan interpreter was also killed in one of the attacks, and a second Afghan national was injured. |
| Canada has about 2,500 troops based in the south of Afghanistan as part of Nato's mission to fight the Taleban. | Canada has about 2,500 troops based in the south of Afghanistan as part of Nato's mission to fight the Taleban. |
| Canada's military mandate in the country is set to end in 2011. | Canada's military mandate in the country is set to end in 2011. |
| Brig Gen Jonathan Vance, head of the Canadian forces in Afghanistan, said two soldiers and the interpreter died when a bomb went off near their patrol in Zhari district, west of Kandahar city. | Brig Gen Jonathan Vance, head of the Canadian forces in Afghanistan, said two soldiers and the interpreter died when a bomb went off near their patrol in Zhari district, west of Kandahar city. |
| The attack injured five Canadian soldiers and an Afghan civilian, he said. | The attack injured five Canadian soldiers and an Afghan civilian, he said. |
| Later, two other soldiers died and three were wounded by a roadside bomb in Shah Wali Kot district, northwest of the city. | Later, two other soldiers died and three were wounded by a roadside bomb in Shah Wali Kot district, northwest of the city. |
| Brig Gen Vance praised the soldiers for efforts and said their deaths did not indicate "a failure on the part of any person or of the mission itself". | Brig Gen Vance praised the soldiers for efforts and said their deaths did not indicate "a failure on the part of any person or of the mission itself". |
| "Success in war is costly," he said. | "Success in war is costly," he said. |
| "We are determined to succeed so that Afghan lives improve. But the insurgents are equally determined to challenge and prevent Afghanistan from flourishing as the nation it so wants to be." | "We are determined to succeed so that Afghan lives improve. But the insurgents are equally determined to challenge and prevent Afghanistan from flourishing as the nation it so wants to be." |
| Troops increase | Troops increase |
| The attacks followed a day of violence in Afghanistan. | The attacks followed a day of violence in Afghanistan. |
| Earlier, officials in Jowzjan province in the north of the country said a district chief and several police officers had been killed by insurgents. | Earlier, officials in Jowzjan province in the north of the country said a district chief and several police officers had been killed by insurgents. |
| The US military said Afghan and international troops had killed 33 militants in separate clashes in Helmand and Logar provinces. | The US military said Afghan and international troops had killed 33 militants in separate clashes in Helmand and Logar provinces. |
| Also in Logar, three militants died when Afghan and US troops attacked a camp. | Also in Logar, three militants died when Afghan and US troops attacked a camp. |
| US President Barack Obama has approved the deployment of a further 17,000 military personnel to Afghanistan amid concerns about a resurgent Taleban. | US President Barack Obama has approved the deployment of a further 17,000 military personnel to Afghanistan amid concerns about a resurgent Taleban. |
| On Thursday, the New York Times reported that the US was planning to more than double Afghanistan's national security forces - creating a force of about 400,000 Afghan troops and police officers - in an attempt to bring stability to the country. | On Thursday, the New York Times reported that the US was planning to more than double Afghanistan's national security forces - creating a force of about 400,000 Afghan troops and police officers - in an attempt to bring stability to the country. |