Four of six Canadian soliders lost today identified

NEWS RELEASE

DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

************************* Names of four of the six Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan released

OTTAWA – The names of four of the six Canadian soldiers killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on July 4, 2007 are as follows:

Captain Matthew Johnathan Dawe, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alta.;

Master Corporal Colin Bason, a reservist from The Royal Westminster Regiment based in New Westminster, B.C.;

Corporal Cole Bartsch, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alta.; and

Private Lane Watkins, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, Alta.

At the request of the family, the names of the remaining two soldiers killed, are being withheld temporarily.

The soldiers were killed when their RG-31 vehicle struck a suspected improvised explosive device approximately 20 km southwest of Kandahar City.

An Afghan interpreter was also killed in the blast.

The incident occurred while the soldiers were returning from conducting joint patrol operations with the Afghan National Army.

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