A Canadian Forces sergeant died Sunday while on a mission to find a stockpile of insurgent weapons southeast of Kandahar.

Sgt. Martin Goudreault was near the village of Nakhonay, in the Panjwaii district, when an improvised explosive device went off about about 6:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Goudreault, 35, was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. A member of the Edmonton-based 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, his latest deployment in the Afghan theatre began only one month ago.

Hundreds of soldiers gathered on the tarmac of Kandahar Airfield Monday to say their final goodbye to their fallen comrade as his body began the long journey home.

At a press conference at the airfield, Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance described Goudreault as a brave soldier and natural leader.

"Sgt. Goudreault died doing what he loved doing best: leading his section from the front," Vance said Monday.

"If your way of life was in peril, you would want someone like Sgt. Martin Goudreault to show up and help."

Vance said Goudreault was "a model soldier, someone the soldiers in his section could look up to and emulate."

"His subordinates and superiors alike will remember him as a tireless leader who was passionate about his work."

It has been a deadly last 48 hours for NATO.

Ten NATO soldiers died Monday, in the deadliest day of the Afghan mission this year.

Seven Americans were among the dead, including five killed in a single roadside blast in eastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban have ramped up their attacks ahead of the massive offensive planned for Kandahar by NATO in hopes of turning the tide of the war.

A deadly district

Tara Brautigam, a reporter with The Canadian Press, said Goudreault was looking for weapons in a part of the Afghanistan where the Taliban are known to reside.

"The Panjwaii district is known as the home, the cradle of the Taliban and more Canadian blood has been shed there than anywhere else since the Afghan mission began in 2002," Brautigam told CTV News Channel during a telephone interview from Kandahar on Monday.

Patrols for weapons are not uncommon in this area.

"These kinds of patrols aren't ones that generate a lot of publicity…but they are considered vital in Canada's mission in Afghanistan," Brautigam said.

Freelance journalist Tom Popyk said the nature of the Panjwaii district makes it a good place to hide IEDs.

"It's a maze of alleyways and houses and it's very easy to hide these explosive devices among the foliage and among the bricks and the bridges," Popyk told CTV News Channel by telephone from Kabul.

PM, defence minister honour fallen soldier

Offering his condolences to the fallen soldier's family and friends, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said "the lives of the Afghan people are better due to the efforts of Canadians like Sgt. Goudreault who provide security and stability."

"These are the cornerstones that will allow the country to rebuild and grow into the future," Harper said in a statement.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Goudreault was an example of the risks Canadian soldiers face when serving in Afghanistan.

"Sgt. Martin Goudreault's sacrifice will not be forgotten and it will not deter us from continuing to help Afghans rebuild their country," he said in a statement.

Goudreault had served 15 years in the Canadian Forces at the time of his death.

The native of Sudbury, Ont., is the 147th Canadian soldier killed during the Afghan mission.

Figures from Canada's Department of Defence indicate that Goudreault is the 88th Canadian soldier to be killed by an IED in Afghanistan.

With files from The Canadian Press