Roadside bomb kills Canadian soldier nearing end of his tour in Afghanistan
By Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian soldier nearing the end of his tour in Afghanistan was killed Sunday by a roadside bomb.
The blast happened in a persistent trouble spot for the Canadian military in Kandahar, a group of villages about 45 kilometres west of Kandahar City.
Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, 25, had been on a supply mission in the area when his armoured vehicle struck the improvised explosive device, also known as an IED, around 3:45 p.m.
No one else was injured in the blast.
Hayakaze was from Lord Strathcona's Horse, based out of Edmonton.
A statement from the Department of Defence said he was immediately evacuated from the scene by helicopter but later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Kandahar Airfield.
"Our comrade died in the service of his country," Brig-Gen. Guy Laroche said in a briefing with reporters at the airfield.
"His sacrifice will not be forgotten and his memory will be with us as we continue to carry out our mission, with the same determination and resolve to see it through."
Hayakaze had been serving in Afghanistan since July or August, Laroche said.
Cpl. Jonathan Ouellet, who is also part of Lord Strathcona's Horse, said Hayakaze was deployed to Afghanistan later than the rest of the regiment - just before Christmas - to replace a driver who had been injured.
Ouellet met Hayakaze when the trooper joined the regiment less than a year ago.
"He's brand new, he's a new trooper," Ouellet said from Edmonton, where he is recuperating after being injured himself following an IED attack in the same region of Afghanistan where Hayakaze was killed.
Hayakaze was a little nervous to be sent overseas due to the short time he'd been involved with the army, said Ouellet.
"Like everybody, you know, he was scared. Didn't know exactly, because he was pretty much new to the whole deal, the regiment and everything," he said, adding his friend was constantly eager to learn.
"He was always there to listen, to learn anything new that would help."
Once in Afghanistan, Hayakaze kept up a cheerful attitude, said Ouellet.
"We kept each others' morale up. He was a good guy, always ready to help, willing to help anybody. We'd joke around a lot, tease each other. He was a smart guy."
Hayakaze had once lived in Japan and the two had planned to take a trip to Tokyo after his return from Afghanistan, said Ouellet. He wasn't sure when Hayakaze moved to Canada, but said he had family in Edmonton and Vancouver.
Hayakaze's love of travel had sparked his interest in the military as a career, said Ouellet.
"He liked to travel and learn new things and have the chance to do things you don't do in a normal life."
The bulk of soldiers who made up the rotation that began during the summer of 2007 were from Quebec's 22nd Regiment, known as the Van Doos.
But attached to them were the members of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), an armoured regiment from Edmonton.
The Strathconas were working together with the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Petawawa, Ont., and the 12e Regiment Blinde du Canada in Valcartier, Que., making military history as the first sub-unit made up of tankers from across the country, rather than just a single regiment.
Eleven soldiers have been killed since the fourth roto, as it is known, arrived in Kandahar this summer.
"This is a very difficult time for the family, friends and colleagues of our lost comrade," Laroche said.
"Our men and women know we are engaged in a dangerous mission. They also know how important their presence is to the people of Afghanistan."
Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean issued a statement Sunday saying: "We are very saddened" to learn of Hayakaze's death.
"His team is in shock at having lost such a highly regarded member. Indeed, this loss is deeply felt by all of his comrades in the Afghan mission, as well as by all Canadians."
"On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May they know that we stand with them in this moment of tragedy."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper also released a statement offering condolences to Hayakaze's family.
"The people of Canada will remember that Trooper Hayakaze's sacrifice was not in vain, that he laid down his life for the safety of citizens in both Canada and Afghanistan," said Harper.
Improvised explosive devices have been responsible for the majority of the 80 Canadian deaths in Afghanistan; 79 soldiers and one diplomat have been killed.
Laroche said it is not a sign of effective Taliban tactics but rather one of a weakened insurgency.
"I think they are more desperate, they are still using the IED, their weapon of choice," he said.
"We have seen another example of that today."
The current rotation of troops is on their way out of Afghanistan, being replaced primarily by the second battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, MB.
They'll likely fan out to the four zones of Kandahar province considered key by the Canadian military in the fight against the Taliban - Zhari, Panjwaii, Spin Boldak and Kandahar City.
The military has said direct attacks on Canadian troops in those areas are down over the past six months, though officials have refused to release specific numbers.
But IEDs are exploding on a regular basis.
The last Canadian soldier to be killed in Afghanistan, Sapper Etienne Gonthier, 21, of St-Georges, Que., near Quebec City, died when his light armoured vehicle was hit by roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district on Jan. 23.
Sunday's explosion happened on the western edge of the same district, a fertile swath of land along the banks of the Arghandab river.
Panjwaii has been the scene of fierce fighting between Canadian forces and insurgents, specifically during the massive Operation Medusa in 2006.
Pockets of insurgents have been operating in and around the Mushan region since last year, even after coalition troops conducted operations in the area in the winter of 2006.
Insurgents have targeted Canadian convoys, reportedly beheaded a local police officer and have ambushed local police convoys.
In January, American forces reportedly arrested several Taliban insurgents during a raid.
But trouble in Mushan has also been homegrown - last summer, local police forces fought each other after a simmering dispute between local elders exploded, allowing the Taliban to make inroads on the edges of the town.
(article taken from http://ca.yahoo.com)
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