KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A frontal Taliban assault killed three soldiers and injured five, the worst losses for Canadian troops under direct fire in two years as insurgents grow bolder in their attacks on international forces.
Military officials are still investigating how Corporal Andrew Grenon, 23, Cpl. Mike Seggie, 21, and Private Chad Horn, 21, were killed Wednesday as they patrolled west of Kandahar city. But they have concluded the soldiers – who were weeks or just days from heading home – weren't victims of the kind of planted bomb that has inflicted the heaviest toll on Canada's troops.
Instead, the Taliban appear to have mounted a “direct-fire attack,” which could include shots from Kalashnikov rifles, grenade launchers, or even powerful 82 mm recoilless rifles, capable of punching through armoured vehicles.
The Taliban rarely succeed in inflicting casualties in direct confrontations with Canadians. The last major incident happened exactly two years ago, on Sept. 3, 2006, in a battle that killed four soldiers at the beginning of Operation Medusa, the largest offensive by Canadian troops in half a century. That battle took place only a few kilometres from the latest deaths in Zhari district, a measure of how the Canadians have struggled to hold territory.
Canadians Cpl. Mike Seggie, left, Cpl. Andrew Grenon, centre, and Pte. Chad Horn, were killed in an attack Wednesday in Afghanistan that left five others wounded. (DOD/CP)
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Three young Canadian soldiers killed early Wednesday in southern Afghanistan were preparing to head home when they became embroiled in a fatal ambush
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“I don't know what it says about progress,” said Brigadier-General Denis Thompson, the top Canadian commander in Kandahar, “but it certainly says we're not invulnerable.”
Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Walter Natynczyk, described the latest casualties as particularly troubling.
“This attack is worrisome in the kind of sophistication of that attack,” he said.
Gen. Natynczyk, who was attending the Conference of the Defence Ministers of the Americas in Banff, Alta., said the security situation during this “fighting season” in Afghanistan is especially “tough.”
The Taliban are starting to win occasional battles against the foreign troops, although it's still highly unusual.
Ten French soldiers were killed in an ambush outside of Kabul last month, and nine U.S. soldiers died as Taliban swarmed an outpost in July.
The international forces often dismiss the Taliban as resorting to “terrorist tactics,” such as bombings and assassinations, but guerrilla attacks have also increased sharply.
The number of Taliban ambushes have increased by more than 50 per cent this year, compared with the same period last year, according to statistics kept by Vigilant Strategic Services Afghanistan. That's outpacing the growth of successful bombings.
The death rate among foreign troops in Afghanistan has also increased, rising 30 per cent from last year and surpassing the casualties in Iraq this summer. Canadian casualties have not followed the same trend, but the numbers have stayed consistently high, with 22 Canadian soldiers killed in 2008 compared with 26 during the same period in 2007, and 23 in 2006. The latest deaths brings to 96 the total number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
All the soldiers injured Wednesday were evacuated to a military hospital at Kandahar Air Field. Four of them remained in medical care overnight, including one critically wounded soldier and one considered in serious but stable condition.
After visiting the wounded soldiers, Gen. Thompson spoke proudly about how they shot at the insurgents even after suffering injuries.
“I've been to the hospital and I've spoken to some of those wounded soldiers,” he said. “Even the wounded, once they evacuated the vehicle, returned fire and did their best – not only did their best, but succeeded in evacuating their mates and getting them out of the area.” The commander gave no estimates of the number of Taliban killed or injured during the battle.
The fight started at 9:30 a.m. local time, during a patrol, and the military has released little information about what happened.
“It was a direct attack and I can't provide any more detail at this point,” Gen Thompson said.
Ustad Abdul Halim, a security adviser to the local government, said it is unlikely the Taliban in that part of Zhari district possessed anything but the usual arsenal of insurgent weaponry.
“This summer the Taliban are very powerful and active in Zhari district, but usually they don't have very good weapons,” Mr. Halim said. “The best they have is the 82 mm anti-tank gun, and they have only a small number of those things. Maybe they found something new, but I don't think so.”
Still, years of experience have taught the insurgents that it's possible to break through the Canadians' armoured vehicles using their existing weapons.
“The point is, you cannot design a vehicle that is impervious to all direct fire. It's impossible,” Gen. Thompson said. “It's always possible to find a weakness in a vehicle.” The slain soldiers had served with the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., and their battle group is due to rotate back home in the coming days and weeks.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered his condolences to the soldier's families.
“I am not sure I can say anything different than we say in all these cases,” Mr. Harper said Wednesday. “These are tremendously brave men and women who put their lives on the line for this country; for its values and to help their fellow human beings.”
The attack happened near the start of Ramadan, a holy month on the Muslim calendar. Violence has historically decreased during his period of fasting and prayer, but for the past two years Ramadan has been marked by sharp increases in attacks. Some extremists believe the final days of the holiday are especially auspicious for martyrdom.
“Many people have different opinions about what Ramadan means in terms of the insurgents,” Gen. Thompson said. “But I can tell you that the governor of this province, Governor [Rahmatullah] Raoufi, told me just yesterday not to expect them to let up at all.”
With a report from Steven Chase in Ottawa and Dawn Walton in Banff, Alta.
