The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

1 i oo 1Cl enee erace, f { j Soldiers P c {0| . en onl .l 1 ... ... ... Conmnueprrompaegad [ . ts e | The explosion in the Maywand disâ€" "r«@ g{{m{’fi“ 2 : { trict near the border with Helmand ’ié;ffi?’{‘ [ province also caused serious but nonâ€" ‘&%;:'Efj,fz‘f,/ wz : o f h lifeâ€"threatening injuries to one Canaâ€" ff“,f,"g\ s p : s dian soldier and light injuries to anâ€" r?*f‘f‘,,’f; _ 9 _ on oo The more seriously injured soldier |__ _ .i , M ie will likely be flown to Germany for _ |w@@iiie aéras s es ,M’mfw’&\: ol treatment at a U.S. military hospital. _ [ ; w in Sunday‘s toll brings the total numâ€" 3 s nc ber of Canadian soldiers killed in & & Afghanistan since 2002 to 51. A & . 3 Canadian diplomat has also been se E killed. & pae 2e There had been no Canadian combat 6 & casualties since November 2006, when Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Girouard f ?ir\lli Cvstrglfiielrlfacsitw}?:naal:figtigrdl: 2:[, Soldiers from Hotel company, Royal Canadian Regiment battle group, climb out 6 ’b ttacked their Bison armoured of their LAVâ€"3 light armoured vehicle last month after patrolling Maywand, omber attacked 1 ie 0 Afghanistan. Six members of the company were killed Sunday. personnel carrier just outside of Kandaâ€" gopugts har City. Ten soldiers, all members of Hotel happened quickly rippled through the curity force members with roadside company, were in a LAVâ€"3 light arâ€" base at Kandahar as helicopters bombs. moured vehicle when the blast ocâ€" brought the wounded in from Mayâ€" _ Bronzed, sunburned and dirty from curred around 1:30 p.m. wand. their time in the desert, the troops of They had been out in the desert for a _ Attempts by the troops to call home â€" Hotel company were in high spirits earâ€" month living off their vehicles, eating were stymied for hours when the miliâ€" lier in the week. field rations and sleeping under the . tary imposed a communications lockâ€" _ On Thursday, some soldiers stripped stars. down because of the deaths. off their sweaty body armour after a Over the past few days, they were _ Speaking in France to mark the 90th day of patrolling in the desert and busy shepherding coalition convoys to anniversary of the Battle of Vimy played hackyâ€"sack in a rough circle the Sangin district, the scene of fierce Ridge, Primeâ€"Minister Stephen Harper while listening to hipâ€"hop tunes. There fighting between the coalition and the said it has been a "difficult day in . was lots of laughter and joking. Taliban. Afghanistan." Another soldier serenaded the sleepy Loved by the troops, the LAVâ€"3 is an _ He broke the news of the six deaths crew of his light armoured vehicle in eightâ€"wheeled, light armoured vehicle â€" at a dinner for veterans and said "our the preâ€"dawn darkness by singing capable of handling a variety of armaâ€" hearts ache for them and their famiâ€" "Good morning, good morning, to ments and reaching speeds of up to | lies." you" over the vehicle‘s intercom sysâ€" 100 km/h. Hours before Sunday‘s explosion, Lt.â€" tem, to catcalls and curses from his In Afghanistan, LAVs have weathered â€" Col. Rob Walker, the battle group comâ€" â€" comrades. many roadside bombs and suicide car mander, said his troops were making _ Hours before the deaths were officialâ€" bomb blasts, usually limping away with progress cracking down on Taliban â€" ly announced, a subdued hush fell over a few destroyed tires. roadside bomb activity in some parts of â€" Canadian troops at the base in Kandaâ€" Earlier this week, soldiers from Hotel Kandahar province. har as they tucked into their evening company proudly handed around _ He said his troops recently eliminated . meal at the dining hall, which was decâ€" homeâ€"made pictures and construction â€" an insurgent "cell." orated with blueâ€"painted Easter eggs . paper cutâ€"outs of Easter bunnies sent _ "We have killed or captured a numâ€" . and chocolate bunnies wrapped in gold by their children, with greetings and . ber of individuals, and we have had no . foil. endearments scrawled in crayon. mines or anything for at least a week _ Without fanfare, soldiers at headâ€" Some of the troops said they were . now," Walker said. quarters quietly lowered the Canadian going to save their treats until Sunâ€" There have been reports that Taliban | flag to halfâ€"mast in the darkness. day. leaders pay cash bounties to insurgents _ "It has been a bad day," said one offiâ€" Word that something terrible had â€" for killing NATO troops and Afghan seâ€" . cer, his face twisted in pain. dn ind ae i i ie t en inscc in aia c arn camnnemrmmenarcamnnnren aaomcar mc