Tributes to Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan
A Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday has been hailed as remarkable and dedicated.
Sapper Brian Collier, 24, was killed in an IED attack near Kandahar.
"The bravery and remarkable commitment of Canadians like Sapper Collier are bringing safety and stability to the people of Afghanistan," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said
He had recently been wounded in a mine blast, and was the 151st Canadian to die in Afghanistan since 2002.
Collier, a combat engineer from Bradford, Ontario, was killed while on a foot patrol about 15km southwest of the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, the Canadian department of national defence said in a statement.
"Sapper Brian Collier was a remarkable Canadian and a dedicated soldier," defence minister Peter MacKay said in a statement. "He made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and has earned the recognition and the respect of us all."
Collier had recently been wounded in another IED attack, but "fought hard to overcome his injury in order to get back to doing his job with his comrades", Brig Gen Jonathan Vance, commander of Task Force Kandahar told reporters.