Afghan bomb kills Canadian troops

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Two Canadian soldiers serving in southern Afghanistan have been killed in a bomb attack on their vehicle.

Two other soldiers were wounded in the blast in Kandahar province, Canadian defence officials said.

The attack came three days after six Canadian soldiers died in a similar attack outside the city of Kandahar.

Fifty-three Canadian soldiers have now lost their lives since troops were sent to Afghanistan in 2002 as part of the US-led "war on terror".

Correspondents say the high Canadian death toll is fuelling a divisive debate in Canada over the mission, with polls showing public support for it falling.

'Determination'

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said the blast was caused by a roadside bomb on Wednesday evening.

A statement from Canada's defence ministry said the explosion occurred about 38km (23 miles) west of the city of Kandahar, where Canada has its 2,500-strong mission.

"The incidents of these last few days, while challenging... have galvanised our determination to support and help the long-suffering people of Afghanistan," the statement said.

The deaths on Sunday of the six soldiers were the most casualties suffered by Canadian forces in a single day since they deployed to Afghanistan in 2002.

Canadian and British troops make up most of the Isaf forces in the south. The Taleban are maintaining strong opposition to Nato, particularly in the south and east.

Last year saw the worst fighting in Afghanistan since coalition troops ousted the Taleban in 2001 with some 4,000 people believed to have been killed - about a quarter of them civilians.