Canadians killed in Afghan clash

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Two Canadian soldiers have been killed in an attack by insurgents in southern Afghanistan, the Canadian military has said.

Five other soldiers were wounded in the incident, which happened when they were clearing explosives from an area for road construction in Kandahar province.

Canadian and British forces have borne the brunt of foreign troop casualties in Afghanistan in recent months.

Thirty nine Canadian troops have died there since 2002, AFP news agency says.

A Canadian military spokesman told AFP the soldiers "operating in the Panjwayi area were attacked by mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire".

Canada has more than 2,000 troops based near Kandahar - a substantial commitment.

Last month, a suicide bomber killed at least four Canadians in an attack on a Nato patrol in Kandahar.

Hundreds of people have been killed this year as violence has risen, mainly in southern and eastern Afghanistan.

A recent poll found only 38% of Canadians support their country's military presence in Afghanistan, while 49% want the 2,300 troops hunting Taleban and al-Qaeda militants to withdraw.

Afghanistan is the largest recipient of Canadian foreign aid.