PANJWAII, Afghanistan — Tracer rounds and exploding mortars lit up the sky Tuesday as Taliban insurgents launched brazen attacks on Canadian armoured vehicles west of Kandahar city, wounding five soldiers.

The Canadians returned fire and NATO air strikes were called in. Several buildings were left in flames during the fighting.

The five soldiers were injured when a mortar shell landed near their light armoured vehicle around 6:30 p.m. The injured were evacuated to Kandahar Airfield, the main base for alliance forces in southern Afghanistan.

None of their injuries were considered life threatening.

Two hours earlier, an insurgent with an assault rifle fired several shots at armoured vehicles.

An Apache attack helicopter blasted away at his position. When the dazed man wandered out of the building still brandishing his AK-47, Canadian soldiers gunned him down.

The troops of Canada's Task Force Kandahar have scrambled several times in recent days to deal with casualties and to counter Taliban attacks.

Also on Tuesday, the Canadians detained three Afghans who were caught trying to drive out of the combat zone. One officer described the detainees as "potentially high-valued.''

"If it's as big a fish as we hope, it's been a good day overall,'' said Maj. Geoff Abthorpe, a company commander leading troops near the Arghandab River.

The Canadians are fighting in Panjwaii, a district extending about 40 kilometres west of Kandahar city, as a main element of NATO's Operation Medusa. U.S., British and Afghan forces are also involved in the offensive to put the Taliban-held region under Afghan government control.

Despite NATO artillery barrages and aerial bombardment, insurgents have fought stubbornly and inflicted casualties among the incoming troops.

Early Tuesday, NATO soldiers at Kandahar Airfield paid tribute to the bodies of five Canadians killed over the past two days in Panjwaii. About 800 Canadians and 100 soldiers from other countries bid farewell to them in the solemn ramp ceremony.

A procession of soldiers, squinting in the desert sunlight, carried the flag-draped coffins onto the C-130 Hercules aircraft as a piper played a mournful tune. Tears streamed down some of the pallbearers faces while others fought back tears with clenched jaws.

Injured soldiers belonging to the same unit as the deceased accompanied the remains onto the plane for a private goodbye. Some of them were pushed up the plane's ramp in wheelchairs; others limped or hobbled on crutches.

Canadian Forces spokeswoman Lieut. Sue Stefko said the plane is expected to touch down at CFB Trenton late Wednesday.

Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Mellish and Warrant Officer Richard Nolan, all based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., and a fourth soldier whose name had not been released, were killed in action on Sunday.

On Monday, Pte. Mark Graham was killed and more than 30 others wounded when two U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt warplanes mistakenly strafed Canadian troops.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that a top U.S. general expressed sadness over the friendly-fire incident, which is being investigated by a board of military officers.

"The death or injury of each and every coalition member is a tragedy that saddens us, our families and the military and civilian members of the coalition,'' Lt.-Gen. Gary North, commander of U.S. Central Command Air Forces, said in a statement.

The five deaths in Panjwaii are the most sustained by Canada in a 24-hour period since Canadian troops first arrived in Afghanistan in early 2002.

So far, one Canadian diplomat and 32 Canadian soldiers have died _ most of them since the Canadians moved into southern Afghanistan in force early this year.

A NATO spokesman claimed Tuesday that artillery and air strikes killed between 50 and 60 suspected Taliban militants on Tuesday, according to AP.

NATO has already claimed more than 200 Taliban killed in the operation. It wasn't possible for reporters to reach the site of the battle to independently confirm the death toll.

The Afghan Defence Ministry said Tuesday 200 militants have died since Saturday, increasing its previously reported toll of 89.

Mullah Dadullah, the Taliban military commander for south and southeastern Afghanistan, rejected NATO's claim of over 200 dead as propaganda on Monday.

A Panjwaii district council member, Haji Agha Lalai, said bombings by NATO warplanes have killed 21 civilians over the past three days in an area called Zungawad. NATO spokesman Maj. Scott Lundy said he had no immediate details to support Lalai's claims.