Canada has around 2,500 troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of its support to NATO operations in the war ravaged country. However, with violence and Taliban offensives rising in Afghanistan, the Canadian troop toll is also rising.
Canada has lost 53 soldiers since troops were sent to Afghanistan in 2002 as part of the U.S.-led war on terrorism. In the latest incident, Two Canadian soldiers were killed and two wounded in Afghanistan on Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle. According to the Canadian Defence Ministry, the blast took place about 23 miles west of the southern city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. The attack happened as the soldiers were assisting another vehicle that had been damaged in an earlier bomb attack.
The recent offensive comes subsequent to the major attack against Canadian forces this past weekend. In the weekend attack, 6 Canadian soldiers had been killed which was a sour point for the people of Canada. These attacks have left the western country sad and morose. A ministry statement in this context said,
The incidents of these last few days, while challenging ... have galvanized our determination to support and help the long-suffering people of Afghanistan
The future of Canadian deployment in Afghanistan
This year has already seen sharp debates in the Canadian parliament over the future of their troops in Afghanistan. Opinion polls show Canadians are sharply divided over the wisdom of the mission, which is due to end in February 2009. While the Canadian Prime Minister Mr Howard believes that the deployment is helping Afghanistan regroup itself, Opposition politicians say Canada’s troops spend too much time fighting Taliban militants and not enough on helping rebuild the country.
Mr Howard has come under sharp scrutiny for his support to the NATO operations, and with the Taliban acts getting deadlier, the criticism is not ending any time soon.
Via: Reuters
