A Lebanese-Canadian soldier was killed in a roadside blast during a security patrol in southern Afghanistan over the weekend, the Canadian military said. The soldiers were traveling Sunday in the Sha Wali Kot district northeast of Kandahar City, where some 2,750 Canadian troops are based, when the explosion struck their armored vehicle at about 1:15 p.m. local time.
Trooper Marc Diab, 22, from the Royal Canadian Dragoons was killed in the attack. He was serving as a member of the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group based in Petawawa, Ont., the Canadian military said.
Diab hails from the southern Lebanese town of Ain Ibil.
A mass will be held in the town’s church Wednesday afternoon to pray for his soul.
“Trooper Marc Diab paid the ultimate price serving his country,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. “His life and death serves as an example of the bravery and outstanding dedication of Canadian Forces members on this mission.”
Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, commander of Canadian troops in Kandahar on Sunday, described Diab as an energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated soldier who loved to joke around and make people laugh. He was extremely close to his mother Jihan and girlfriend Mary, he said.
“He never stopped giving,” Vance said. “He brought joy and laughter to his friends and was deeply involved and committed to his church and youth group activities.”
He was an avid soccer player who loved sports and outdoor activities and often spoke about how much he enjoyed taking his jeep and going cross-country driving, he said.
“His friends and comrades describe him as having a large heart for such a small guy,” Vance said. “He would give you the world if he had it.”
Diab’s death brings the number of casualties in Afghanistan to 112 since Canada’s combat mission there began in 2002. One diplomat and two aid workers have also been killed.(Photo courtesy of CBC News) (AFP-Naharnet)
