CANADIANS COME UNDER HEAVY ATTACK IN AFGANISTAN

LLOYD ROBERTSON: Good evening. Canadians were warned there would be good days and bad days for our troops in Afghanistan. This was definitely one of the bad ones. There were four insurgent attacks on Canadian convoys across the volatile south. First, a patrol came under fire in Kandahar City. Then, 60 kilometres north, a roadside bomb. Two hours later, another roadside attack in Gumbad. And after that, a suicide bomber struck near Kandahar. In all, six soldiers were wounded, one seriously. This coming just days into Operation Mountain Thrust, a major multi-national offensive against the Taliban. With more we go to CTV's Steve Chao in Kandahar. Steve? STEVE CHAO (Reporter): Lloyd, when operation mountain thrust began last week, commanders warned it would stir up a hornet's nest. The last 24 hours is evidence of that. The remains of a suicide bomber's vehicle. A car witnesses say that was loaded with explosives and driven into a Canadian patrol. We were playing and then suddenly there was this loud explosion, says this man. All over the street people were injured. One civilian died, nine others were wounded, including two Canadian soldiers.

MAJOR MARIO COUTURE (Military Spokesperson): Today was definitely a bad day for us, but you know what? At the end of the day, no Canadian soldier died.

CHAO: The attack in front of a police checkpoint was just one of four against Canadians in a span of 24 hours. The most bloody, in Gumbad, a mountainous area infamous for Taliban ambushes. A roadside bomb struck a Canadian Light Armoured Vehicle, known as a LAV, wounding four soldiers. Private Andy Social arrived on the scene moments after.

PRIVATE ANDY SOCIAL (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry): There was a G-wagon and lav that was blown out from the bottom, underneath the turret, and it looked pretty serious.
CHAO: One seriously wounded soldier was airlifted back to Kandahar airfield for immediate surgery. Three others are said to be in good condition. All of these attacks, say Canada's top General, underscores the need to purchase new helicopters like the Americans have to transport and supply the troops.

GENERAL RICK HILLIER (Chief of Defence Staff): We need a variety of major equipment and fleets. I've been pretty clear, I think, in the past and I don't think there's any beating around the bush of the needs of the Canadian forces.

CHAO: With operation mountain thrust aimed at pushing deep into insurgent territory, Canadian military officials say they expected days like this.

COUTURE: You have to understand that we put a lot of pressure on these people, and this is a pushback that we felt today.

CHAO: A pushback that could continue for some time. Operation mountain thrust is expected to last through the summer. And while military officials say this was a bad day, they warn it could get much worse. Lloyd.

ROBERTSON: Steve, obviously the Canadians need helicopters there for these resupply missions. Up to now they've been hitching rides, is that it?

CHAO: Well Canadians have been begging from Americans for some time now, however they still use the roads quite a bit and, according to soldiers, it has increased the risk that they become targets. Even according to one Canadian commander, the fact that they are using the roads and don't have helicopters has cost some Canadian soldiers their limbs if not much more.
ROBERTSON: And what are you hearing from the Kandahar base about the operation mountain thrust and how well it's doing in the south?

CHAO: Well there are more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers involved in this operation; however, one battle group involving about a few hundred make up the group that is going out into the Taliban safe havens. Now this group is very tired from months of intense fighting. But according to their commander, they have been making several gains over the past few days. Specifically they're gaining intelligence from the local population as to when the Taliban may strike next. Lloyd.

PUBLICATION: CTV - CTV News
DATE: 2006.06.21

REPORTED BY - STEVE CHAO