Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan

A Canadian soldier who had spent less than a week in Afghanistan was killed Friday by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol in Kandahar.

Sapper Steven Marshall, 24, from 11 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, based in Edmonton, was patrolling 10 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City in the Panjwai district when the bomb exploded, Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance said.

No other Canadians were injured. 

"Steven will be remembered as the life of his section. He had an incredible sense of humour and a contagious grin that never left his face even in the most difficult of times," Vance said.

"He would embrace every situation and always found and shared that silver lining with his mates."

Marshall joined the army a little over two years ago, Vance said. He was deployed  with the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group.

"Having arrived in the theatre of operations less than a week ago, he was eager to get out and begin making a difference," Vance said.

Marshall is the second Canadian soldier killed in action in October. Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, 26, was killed Wednesday when his foot patrol was hit by an IED southwest of Kandahar City.

The latest death brings to 133 the total number of Canadian soldiers who have died as part of the Afghan mission since it began in 2002.