Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment who was killed in action this morning in Afghanistan.

Canadian soldier killed

John Cotter, Canadian Press
Published: Sunday, July 09, 2006

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- A Canadian soldier has been killed in a fire fight west of Kandahar City.

Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., died Sunday morning, military officials say.

Boneca, a reservist with the 1 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group, was killed as troops were pushing through an area near the village of Pashmol that has been a hotbed of Taliban activity over the past few months.

"There has been lots of contact. But unfortunately we have suffered the tragic loss of Cpl. Boneca," said Brig.-Gen. David Frazer, the Canadian commander on the multinational brigade in Kandahar.

"We really do have to admire his professionalism and his heroic efforts to help out people less fortunate than ours. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends."

Word of Boneca's death spread quickly among the troops back at the international coalition base.

A Canadian flag was lowered to half staff at a small memorial that commemorates soldiers who have died in Afghanistan.

Two Canadian soldiers were wounded Saturday in the same area, one seriously.

Boneca, an infantry soldier, came to Afghanistan with the battle group early last winter. The unit is to rotate back to Canada next month.

The Pashmol area, which includes vineyards, lush fields of marijuana and the withered stubble of old opium crops, has been a major gathering point for Taliban, who have been ambushing convoys and attacking Afghan National Police outposts.

Canadian troops have defeated the insurgents in every major engagement in the region since May. But when coalition activity subsides, the Taliban regroup and become more active again.

Frazer said Boneca's death will not have any impact on a joint Canadian-Afghan operation to sweep the region of Taliban.

"We are going to carry on operations as they are," the general said.

"We are not pulling back at all, we are leaning into this. We are going to push right through for as long as it takes."

Boneca is the 17th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.