Canadian leaders mourn Afghan war dead

Canadian leaders mourn Afghan war dead

Canadian Governor General David Johnston and Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Saturday offered their condolences to the family of a Canadian soldier who was killed in Afghanistan earlier in the day.

Master Corporal Byron Greff, a Light Infantry soldier, was the 158th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan, and was also the first since Canada ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in July.

"On behalf of Canadians and of the government of Canada, I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Byron Garth Greff," Harper said in a statement, adding that the soldier had "paid the ultimate price serving his country."

In a separate statement, Johnston said that even though Canada's mission has changed to a non-combat one, its servicemen and civilians face risks every day in their efforts to rebuild Afghanistan.

Greff, who joined the Canadian Forces in 2001, was killed in the Afghan capital of Kabul when an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) convoy he was traveling in came under attack.

According to an earlier statement by the ISAF, 13 NATO personnel were killed in the incident, for which the Taliban movement has claimed responsibility.

There are some 950 Canadian troops participating in training missions at bases in Kabul and in western Afghanistan. The operation is slated to end in the spring of 2014.

Editor: Yamei Wang

English.news.cn   2011-10-30 11:27:50 FeedbackPrintRSS
OTTAWA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua)