Prime Minister Paul Martin responded to criticism Friday that sending troops to Afghanistan will endanger Canada, saying fighting terrorism is the government's responsibility.

He made his comments during a trip to Timmins, Ont., and also said fighting terrorism was the right thing to do.

His comments follow reports that a jihadist website mentioned Canada's mission to Afghanistan, alerting al Qaeda fighters to their presence.

Canada is helping Afghanistan by sending 250 troops to the violent Kandahar region, as part of a provincial reconstruction team to help bring stability to the area. They will encourage diplomacy and development, and also provide security for communities trying to rebuild.

Some troops will be arriving today, but the majority touched down Thursday.

The soldiers will get two days of rest before they accompany U.S. forces, who recently had four soldiers killed in a suicide bomb attack.

The Taliban's influence is especially strong in Kandahar, where troops continue to fight with insurgents.

Gen. Rick Hillier said last week that Canadian troops will likely encounter Taliban fighters and their al Qaeda allies.

Joint Task Force 2 -- Canada's secretive, elite special forces unit -- has been deployed for combat operations there.

The majority of Canadian soldiers are from Edmonton.

Most of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is made up of soldiers from Edmonton Garrison's 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, 3 Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and 1 Service Battalion, reports The Canadian Press.

Critics of the mission say it will raise Canada's profile as a potential target for terrorists.

Eric Margolis, a seasoned war correspondent and author of a book on conflict in Afghanistan, War at the Top of the World, believes the mission could increase chances of a terrorist attack on Canadian soil.

He also believes Canadians might be unprepared for the possibility of troops suffering casualties.

"You cannot go into a war and expect you're not going to get shot at. It's foolish and it's illusory to do so, so Canadians have to be prepared," he told CTV.ca on Saturday.

"If they want to send troops to go and kill Afghans, Afghans are going to come and kill Canadians."