The Canadian military has identified the latest soldier to die during the mission in Afghanistan.

Master Cpl. Francis Roy, who served with the country's special forces regiment, was discovered by fellow soldiers early Saturday at a forward operating base in Kandahar city. He died of non-combat injuries in Afghanistan, the military said.

Originally from Rimouski, Que., Roy was on his first overseas deployment with the country's special forces regiment.

Roy, 32, worked as a logistician, responsible for the transport of troops and equipment, said Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner, commander of the Canadian task force.

He is the 157th member of the Canadian forces to die as part of the Afghan mission.

In a statement, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Roy and other soldiers have "made an invaluable contribution to stabilizing and developing that country."

Military police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Roy's death.

Investigators are treating the death as a possible suicide, the fifth suspected case involving an overseas soldier since the mission began in 2003.

Roy first worked as an infantry soldier with Canada's Royal 22e Regiment.

In 2009, he volunteered for the Canadian Special Operations Regiment where Milner says he became an effective member of the team.

Special forces operate independently of regular troops and are tasked with hunting down the Taliban leadership and conducting specialized raids and disruption operations against insurgents.

Roy's friends aren't allowed to speak with the media because of the highly-secretive nature of his job.

If suicide is determined as the cause of death, it would be the second such case in a month.

In May, the body of Bombardier Karl Manning, 31, a native of Chicoutimi, Que., was found by fellow soldiers at a remote base near Zangabad.

News of Roy's death comes as the Canadian military withdraws from Afghanistan, where they've held a presence since late 2006.

As troops continue to head home, Roy's death is a reminder of the important role Canadian ground forces have played in many hostile parts of Kandahar, said CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer.

"They're turning over a part of Afghanistan that the Americans say is in much better shape than what the Canadians first arrived to," she told CTV News Channel on Saturday.

With only three weeks remaining in the combat mission, the task force's senior chaplain, Maj. Grahame Thompson, said it's a tough time for soldiers to be on the job.

"We are focused on what we need to do," he said.

"I think for some, those who were closest to the member are going to find it more difficult than others."

With files from The Canadian Press