Canada's top soldier was helping with work on the ground in Afghanistan Friday when a roadside bomb went off just 800 metres from where he was chatting with a village elder.

Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of the defence staff, was whisked away in an armoured vehicle. A U.S. Blackhawk helicopter picked him up from the army's forward operating base in Gumbad, and took him to Kandahar.

Hillier told CTV that the incident gave him "a great feel for what the risks are, and the very real tension that (the soldiers) live with on a daily basis."

The blast lightly damaged a Canadian Bison armoured vehicle, used as an ambulance. However, no one was hurt in the attack.

"I'm pleased to say that the occupants of the vehicle, although somewhat frightened by the whole experience, are fine," Maj. Scott Lundy, in Kandahar, told CTV Newsnet Friday.

Friday's blast comes as Canadian troops launch a large operation aimed at increasing their presence in Taliban and insurgent-held areas, such as Gumbad, which is about 10 kilometres down a road known for bombings.

CTV's Steve Chao, reporting from Kandahar, said the area is known as the heart of Taliban country. It has a lot of high mountains and ambush areas where insurgents can attack coalition forces.

"This is an area known to be a holding area, if you will, for insurgents," Chao told CTV Newsnet.

"What (Canadians) want to do eventually is take control of the rural, isolated areas that traditionally the Taliban and al Qaeda and all the insurgents have had a strong foothold in."

The mission, code-named Operation Peacemaker, is not about taking prisoners, but rather about establishing communications with Afghan communities and elders.

"The focus of this operation is actually to engage the local population, including the village elders, and speak with them about the fact that we will be patrolling more regularly in the area," said Lundy. "Show them that we mean them no harm."

The operation is commanded by Lt.-Col. Ian Hope, who leads the Canadian task force in Kandahar.

Before the bomb went off, Hillier, Hope and Capt. Kevin Schamuhn were chatting with Haji Mohammed Nabi, the village elder in Kundalan. They were trying to urge his people to abandon sympathies for Taliban insurgents.

However, Hope said Hillier was not the target of Friday's blast.

Kundalan is just a few kilometres down the road from Shingai, the scene of an axe attack last week that seriously wounded Capt. Trevor Greene.

Schamuhn was sitting beside Greene when the attack happened, and was one of three soldiers that shot the attacker dead. However, during Friday's chat he removed his helmet.

He admitted that having extra security around on Friday helped him relax during the meeting.

Taliban commander a prime target

Sources tell CTV News that one of the Canadian Forces' prime targets is Tahir Yuldash -- known as one of the most senior al Qaeda commanders and a personal friend of Osama bin Laden.

Canadian military leaders have stressed that dismantling the Taliban leadership is key.

"We want to remove from action here in this southern part of Afghanistan any of those commanders that would orchestrate violence," said Hillier, "either against Canadians, or against any other international forces -- but most particularly against the local population that simply wants to get on with their lives."

Canadians have increasingly been on guard for attacks, after weeks of being the targets of roadside bombings, and rocket attacks.

Despite that, Chao said every soldier he has talked to remains dedicated to the mission in Afghanistan.

"Everyone we spoke to speaks about the commitment -- this belief in themselves that they are actually fighting for Canadians in Afghanistan by freeing up the livelihood of the Afghans."

"Giving them freedom. Eventually it will reduce the chance of attacks in Canada itself."

With reports from CTV's Steve Chao and The Canadian Press in Kandahar