A steady stream of Canadian soldiers continues to land in Kabul, Afghanistan. On Thursday, 32 members of an advance party arrived to help prepare the ground for a main force of Canadian peacekeepers set to arrive in August.

The forces are part of Canada's contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in the Afghan capital. The first contingent of 2,000 troops will serve a six-month tour and will be replaced by another 2,000 next February.

About 150 Canadian troops are on the ground and dozens are arriving almost daily. They are experts in engineering and communications who will set up base over the next few months.

The peacekeepers will be expected to maintain order, train a national army and protect Afghanistan's fragile government.

"There is a threat out there. The challenge is that it's difficult to identify the bad guy from the good guy. And with our defences security platoon in place, that will allow us to carry on with our job here," said Lt.-Col. Stu Sharpe of Canadian Forces Base Kingston.

If the Canadian soldiers needed any reminder of how dangerous their new assignment in Afghanistan will be, they got one Thursday. A German soldier was killed and another wounded when their vehicle hit a mine on a road about 15 kilometres southeast of Kabul.

Afghanistan is one of the world's most heavily mined countries. The countryside is littered with unexploded ordnance left from a quarter century of war.

"As soon as we got off the plane they pointed out ... a mine field and it just kind of hit me then that we're not on base any more -- we're not in Canada anymore," Cpl. Scott Dickens said.

The death of the German soldier brought to 15 the number of peacekeepers who have died on duty in Afghanistan.

Some 5,000 peacekeepers are currently in Kabul to ensure law and order. Germany and the Netherlands are currently in joint command of the force, but are due to hand over control to NATO in August.

With reports from CTV's Matt McClure and Canadian Press