Two medics are the latest members of the Canadian Forces to be killed in Afghanistan.
Master Cpl. Kristal Giesebrecht of Wallaceburg, Ontario and Pte. Andrew Miller of Sudbury , Ontario were part of a unit dispatched to deal with a mine found in the doorway of a home when their vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device.
Giesebrecht, 34 and Miller, 21 were both medical technicians attached to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group.
Giesebrecht was serving her second tour in Afghanistan. Miller was serving his first.
A third soldier injured in the blast southwest of Kandahar City was airlifted to the Role 3 Hospital at Kandahar Airfield. He is listed in stable condition.
Acknowledging the rise of so-called "fighting season" in Afghanistan, the commander of Task Force Kandahar said these deaths underscore the present danger.
"Although we cannot say for certain that these medical personnel were targeted deliberately, it is for certain that the threat to Afghans stemming from the influence of out of area fighters at this time of year is very serious," Brig.-Gen Jonathan Vance told The Canadian Press.
In a statement issued Saturday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper extended his condolences to the soldiers' family and friends.
"These soldiers served bravely while helping to build a stable Afghanistan," Harper said.
"The courage and dedication demonstrated by Master Corporal Kristal Giesebrecht and Private Andrew Miller speak volumes about their pride in Canada and in creating a better country for the Afghan people."
The latest deaths bring to 150 the number of Canadian Forces members to die in the Afghanistan mission since it began in 2002.
Giesebrecht, who Vance described as a "mentor and an inspiration," is the third Canadian woman to be killed in combat during that time.
Capt. Nicola Goddard became the first when she was killed in a grenade attack in the Panjawi district in May 2006. Twenty-one-year-old trooper Karine Blais became the second when she was killed in a roadside bomb blast north of Kandahar last April.
According to the Department of Defence, IEDS are the single biggest cause of death for Canadians serving in Afghanistan. ten of 12 Canadian deaths recorded this year have been the result of an IED blast. Since the Canadian mission in Afghanistan began eight years ago, 91 of the 150 deaths were caused by some sort of improvised explosive device.
These are the second Canadian deaths in less than a week.
Sgt. James MacNeil of Glace Bay, N.S. was killed by an IED on June 20th while on a foot patrol near the village of Nakhonay.
Prepared with files from The Canadian Press
