Fallen Canadian soldiers honoured at Kandahar

Morethan 3,000 coalition soldiers gathered early Saturday morning at the Kandahar airfield to honour four Canadian soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan this week.

Three members of the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were killed Thursday when Taliban militants attacked with rocket-propelled grenades near the village of Pashmul, approximately 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar.

Sgt. Vaughn Ingram, Cpl. Bryce Jeffrey Keller and Pte. Kevin Dallaire died as a result of their wounds.

Earlier Thursday, Cpl. Christopher Jonathan Reid of Truro, N.S., was killed near Kandahar when his armoured vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb.

During the Kandahar ceremony, the remains of the soldiers were transportedto a C-130 Hercules aircraft. They are scheduled to arrive at CFB Trenton late Sunday afternoon for a repatriation ceremony.

In a statement released Friday, Keller's family said he was born and raised in Regina and joined the reserves in 1997.

Keller lived in Edmonton with his wife, Sarah, andis also survived by his parents Helen and Mel and two brothers, Brad and Scott.

Ingram was a native of the western Newfoundland town of Burgeo.

Six other Canadians were injured on Thursday, with some of them observing the Kandahar ceremony from wheelchairs.

The deaths came as the first group of soldiers from Canada's expanded mission in Afghanistan returned home late Friday.

Close to 100 soldiers from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry landed in Edmonton, ending a six-month mission. The troops spent a few days in Cyprus before making the trip home.

About 1,400 soldiers will return to Edmonton over the next few weeks. They're being replaced by soldiers who will be flying out ofTrenton, Ont., some of whom have already left for their tour.