A Canadian special forces soldier has died in what military officials are calling an unfortunate and tragic accident.
The soldier fell from a communication tower somewhere within Kandahar City on Wednesday, Col. Mike Cessford, deputy Canadian commander in Afghanistan, told reporters in Kandahar early Thursday.
"I believe this was a routine activity. It was not operationally related," he said. "By all indications, this was a tragic accident."
An accidental death doesn't make it any easier to take, he said.
"A loss is a loss of a soldier. This soldier is going home to his family. It is a tragedy. We care for every soldier, no matter the circumstances of their deaths," he said.
While the next of kin have been informed, they have requested that his name not be released, Cessford said.
This latest fatality would bring the total number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2002 to 54 plus one diplomat.
Cessford said he believes this is the first special forces soldier to die in Afghanistan.
It also marks the 54th Canadian soldier to have died in Afghanistan. Most have died either in suicide or bomb attacks by insurgents or in combat.
Funerals
The death occurred on a day when two of six Canadian soldiers who died Easter Sunday were laid to rest.
Hundreds of mourners attended funeral services for Cpl. Aaron Williams, 23, of Perth-Andover, N.B., and his commander, Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31, of St. John's, N.L.
Those two ceremonies were the first of eight to be carried out in Atlantic Canada and Ontario after Taliban roadside bombs killed Canadian soldiers in two separate incidents.
Pte. David Greenslade will be buried Thursday in his hometown of Saint John, N.B., while Pte. Kevin Kennedy of St. Lawrence, N.L., will be buried in St. Mary's in eastern Newfoundland.
Services will be held Friday for Cpl. Brent Poland in Sarnia, Ont., and Master Cpl. Christopher Stannix in Halifax.
Master Cpl. Allan Stewart and Trooper Patrick Pentland died on April 11.
A funeral for Stewart will be held Friday in Ontario, while one will be held for Pentland at CFB Gagetown.
Both soldiers had been based at CFB Petawawa.
With files from The Canadian Press
