The Canadian Forces on Sunday night identified one of the dead soldiers as Corporal Eric Labbe of the Second Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment based in Valcartier, Que. Labbe was born in Rimouski, Que.
The name of the second soldier is being withheld at the request of the family. That soldier's name is expected to be released this morning.
Military spokesmen say the incident was unrelated to enemy action.
The soldiers both died on the scene. They were in the turret of the vehicle, a LAVIII eight-wheeled armoured vehicle, moving across a dirt track soaked with rain, when the incident occurred.
The vehicle was moving to a position to set up camp for the night.
Two other soldiers inside were unhurt.
They were part of operation Teng Azem, or Steadfast Decision, an operation to flush insurgents out of an area around the community of Nalgham, in the Zhari district of Kandahar province.
The deaths bring the Canadian troop toll in Afghanistan to 76. A Canadian diplomat has also been killed in Afghanistan.
Global News
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