Body of 140th Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan arrives home

The body of a 24-year-old Canadian soldier died in Afghanistan was sent back home on Monday, raising to 140 the number of Canadian servicemen killed in Afghanistan since 2002.

Corporal Joshua Baker of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry), who was serving with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan, died Friday in an accident on a shooting range during a routine training exercise.

Four other soldiers were hurt in the accident on the range located approximately four kilometers northeast of Kandahar City and were taken by helicopter to a Multi-National Medical Facility at the Kandahar Airfield and are in stable condition.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is investigating the incident but have not yet released any further details.

Baker's family issued a statement Saturday, calling him a soft spoken man who had a great sense of humor and hoped to join the Edmonton Police Force.

Four Canadian civilians have also been killed so far in Afghanistan, including a diplomat, a journalist and two aid workers, since Canada's participation in the United Nations-mandated NATO-led mission.

The casket covered by a Canadian national flag was greeted at a Canadian Forces airfield at Trenton in eastern Ontario by senior officials including Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, who praised the Corporal's sacrifice will inspire those who give of themselves to create a vibrant, safe and democratic Afghanistan.

Source: Xinhua