Kabul — An explosion that killed two Canadian soldiers and wounded three others last week was caused by at least one — and possibly three — anti-tank mines, the head of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan said Tuesday.
Canadian units, along with British and German forces, assisted Kabul police in arresting the man they think could be responsible early Tuesday.
His name is Abu Bakr, the senior-most commander in Kabul of Afghanistan's third-largest terrorist organization, Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG).
A preliminary report on the mine blast that killed Sergeant Robert Short and Corporal Robbie Beerenfenger was released to media by Major-General Andrew Leslie at the main Canadian encampment southwest of Kabul.
The forensic and technical investigation continues into what caused the blast in a creek bed 3½ kilometres southwest of the base.
A board of inquiry has been called to look into the broader issue of practices surrounding route clearance and approval by Canadian engineers.
The report said the explosion was most probably caused by at least one Soviet-made TM-57 anti-tank mine “designed to kill or immobilize a main battle tank.”
Investigators found the mine's fuse assembly near the scene, as well as the top plates and strikers from two anti-tank mines, the report said.
Such mines weigh about nine kilograms, but from the shape of the crater and the blast marks inside, investigators have concluded that three explosive devices were involved.
The nature of the two others has yet to be determined.
“The inference is that the mine was planted in the ground,” Gen. Leslie said. “How many mines? We know that there were three explosive devices.
“We have the remnants of one anti-tank mine. We've got fuses of two, but we haven't found sufficient data to support the conclusion that there were actually two anti-tank mines there. That is a supposition.”
The two vehicles involved in the incident did not deviate from the trail before the explosion, the report said.
Pictures shown to embedded reporters showed devastating damage to the Iltis vehicle in which Sgt. Short and Cpl. Beerenfenger died.
The vehicle was burned raw, broken in half, twisted and barely recognizable.
The back-rear right quarter was completely missing. It lay eight to 10 metres from the main crater, and pieces were found up to 150 metres from the blast site.
The crater itself was almost two metres across, about the size of a hot tub. There were three blackened blast marks inside.
Investigators also found a shipping plug lying on the ground nearby. Gen. Leslie noted that it was not buried as it would be had it been lying there for a long time, but rather covered in a light layer of dust, indicating that it was likely removed from the mine within a short period before the blast.
“It's not buried in the ground as if it's 12 years old,” said Gen. Leslie, pointing to a photograph.
The last Canadian engineers passed over the site about 2½ hours before the incident.
Canadian military authorities are reviewing all patrol routes, standard operating procedures and threat assessments.
Mr. Bakr, a disciple of terrorist leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has also been linked to the bombing of a German bus last June in which four German soldiers were killed and 29 others wounded.
“We have indication he is under orders to orchestrate attacks on ISAF personnel using rockets and mines,” Gen. Leslie said. “Should this turn out to be conclusively an attack, we may well have apprehended the man who ordered it.”
Mr. Bakr is being held in a secret location. Meanwhile Canadian soldiers are proceeding with patrols throughout their area of responsibility where upward of 800,000 Afghans live.
Almost 2,000 Canadian soldiers are posted in Kabul as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force securing the capital and the interim government of President Hamid Karzai.
A Canadian civilian was slightly wounded last month when a rocket landed at the edge of the small Canadian encampment in northern Kabul, part of the German base known as Camp Warehouse where Canadian Brig.-Gen. Peter Devlin, head of ISAF's multi-national brigade, is stationed.
Gen. Leslie noted that besides the rocket attack, there was a mine planted on a French patrol route a couple of weeks ago, as well as a couple of remotely detonated devices found last week in the German area of operations and another in the French area.
“We are not yet able to look you in the eye and give you an assurance that this was a deliberate attack,” Gen. Leslie said.
The evidence, he said, “is certainly pointing that way and, by the way, I am treating it as if it was a deliberate attack and so is commander ISAF.
“Prudent military judgment would indicate that we should always plan for the worst case. So … all soldiers of ISAF are going through … planning to try to deal with the implications of routes that have been proven or travelled being recently mined.”
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