'We have to close ranks,' NATO says as Canada mourns fallen soldier

The Canadian military identified Cpl. Andrew James Eykelenboom as the soldier who was killed in a suicide bombing in southern Afghanistan on Friday.

Eykelenboom, who was with the 1st Field Ambulance based in Edmonton, was travelling in a NATO convoy when a pickup truck packed with explosives detonated.

The attack happened as Eykelenboom travelled in an armoured G-Wagon light utility vehicle as part of a resupply convoy heading north from the district of Spin Boldak to Kandahar Air Field, said Col. Tom Putt, deputy commander of Task Force Afghanistan.

"We deeply regret the loss of a fine and dedicated soldier who died serving his country," he said.

"Our sympathy goes out to his family in this time of grief."

Spin Boldak is approximately 100 kilometres southeast of Kandahar near the border with Pakistan. The attack occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Kandahar time.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack.

'Nothing changes'

Putt was resolute when addressing reporters about the attack and the soldier's death.

"Nothing changes," Putt said. "We have to close ranks and get on with this and figure a way around this.

"We have to acknowledge the fact that the Taliban have largely been reduced to suicide bombings and IED [improvised explosive device] attacks because they cannot defeat the coalition with direct action, which is what they claimed they were going to do."

Eykelenboom was the sixth Canadian killed in attacks in Afghanistan in the past nine days. Another soldier also died this past week in an accidental shooting.

Twenty-six Canadian soldiers have been killed since Canada began its mission in Afghanistan in April 2002.