Private Jonathan Couturier died somewhere outside Kandahar City. As with most of Couturier's 130 colleagues previously killed in Afghanistan since the CF deployment there, his end came after an improvised explosive device (IED) attack.

Until the redeployment of CF soldiers, put under NATO control and sent south of Kabul in 2005, there had been four Canadians lost, all of them due to a single "friendly-fire" incident involving U.S. Reserve pilots later found to be impaired by "go pills." So far this month, four Canadians have been killed, and many more have been injured.

State broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) cite CF Number One, Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance saying, the armoured vehicle was hit just after 10 am local time. Vance says the 11 other soldiers' wounds were minor and all are returned to duty.

Vance said of the 23 year old Couturier;

"Jonathan joined the Canadian Forces only three years ago, with the hope of serving his country and ensuring peace and security for Canadians and other populations in dire situations around the world, and he fulfilled that desire during his time here in Afghanistan."

Pte. Jonathan Couturier was attached to the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, Valcartier, Que.