Three Canadian soldiers have died west of Kandahar city, after their armoured vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. A fourth soldier was injured in the blast.

The soldiers killed have been identified as: Cpl. Thomas James Hamilton, Pte. John Michael Roy Curwin and Pte. Justin Peter Jones.

All three were with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, RCR based in Gagetown, New Brunswick.

They were members of the Quick Reaction Force, or QRF, a team of soldiers that are usually called out to emergency situations within Kandahar City or just outside city limits, Globe and Mail reporter Graeme told CTV Newsnet on Sunday morning.

The soldiers were responding to a call that a bomb was being planted along the highway that runs from Kandahar city to the border of Helmand province.

"So they were going out essentially to protect their colleagues, who drive convoys on that road on a regular basis and rely on that stretch of highway as a safe passage out to other

Canadian and American bases further out from Kandahar city," Smith said.

Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, commander of Task Force Kandahar, told reporters that Hamilton, or "Hammy," was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan and had a young daughter, named Annabella. Hamilton had previously served in Haiti.

Hamilton's mother, Cindy Higgins, released a statement about her son, who was born in Truro, N.S., and grew up in Upper Musquodoboit.

"Thomas was a kind and loving man who loved to tease, he enjoyed fishing, who strongly believed in the mission and volunteered for his third tour in Afghanistan," she said.

Curwin was described as a "family man," who had three children and considered his wife, Laura Mae, his best friend.

Jones, or "Jonesy" as he was called, of Baie Verte, N.L., was known for his kindness and his love of the guitar, Thompson said.

"We share this moment of grief together today and think of these young men who were so full of life and full of promise," Thompson said.

"I would like to extend my personal condolences to the families and friends of these young men and I look to all Canadians during this Christmas season to hold their memories dear."

The injured soldier is in fair condition at the military hospital at Kandahar Air Field, Smith said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement offering his "deepest sympathies" to the families and wishing a quick recovery to the injured soldier.

"This tragic incident demonstrates the considerable risk faced by the exceptional men and women of the Canadian Forces as they work to promote freedom, security and democracy in Afghanistan."

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the fallen soldiers had died "helping to ensure a brighter future for the Afghan people."

Rockets hit base on Sunday

Also on Sunday, the base was hit by as many as four rockets. Although rocket attacks are not unusual, Smith said, they usually land in one of the "large, empty spaces" in the vast base and don't result in any injuries.

The news of the soldiers' deaths came as 1,000 mourners paid tribute to Cpl. Mark Robert McLaren in a Peterborough, Ont., drill hall. He was one of three soldiers killed in a roadside blast on Dec. 5, bringing Canada's troop death toll to the grim milestone of 100.

With the latest attack, that toll has now risen to 103. A Canadian diplomat has also been killed.

Saturday's deaths occurred near the location of the Dec. 5 attack, on the border between the Arghandab and Zhari districts, and near the village of Senjaray.

The area is well-known to Canadian soldiers, who have been battling insurgents there for the last two years, Smith said.

The area was not considered a Taliban stronghold until recently. The region had been protected by a local strongman, but he was gunned down by Taliban forces outside his home over the summer, Smith said.

Violence "has increased dramatically this year versus last year," Smith said. There has been a dramatic spike in the number of Taliban ambushes and IED strikes against Canadian, American, Afghan and other forces in the region, he said.

"When the Taliban first ran away from here during that time, out of every 100 persons -- 95 per cent were secure and with the other five per cent there (not secure)," Afghan National Army Sgt. Lahor Shah Watanwal, who works with the Canadian OMLT (Operational Liason Mentoring Team), told The Canadian Press.

The OMLT team checks and clears IED's on the highway from the village of Howz-e-Madad to the Helmand border every day. Clearing the 30 kilometres on the highway takes between three and eight hours every day.

"We do get tired of this but it has its moments I guess," Capt. Joe Hentz, of London, Ont., who is in charge of the OMLT, told The Canadian Press.

"We do it the old fashioned way," he said. "We usually find them in culverts. A lot of time they're on the side of the road for the dismounts as well. They see us doing something and change their tactics."

The highway is a major supply route between Kandahar city and the new U.S. base in the Maynard district, making the road a target for the Taliban.

The U.S. soldiers in the area are working hard to clamp down on Taliban insurgents.

"In the coming months the fact that something will be there, day in, day out, I think we'll finally be able to shake control from the Taliban in the area," said U.S. Lt.-Col. Dan Hurlbut.

IEDs have become the weapon of choice for Taliban insurgents. More than half of the Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan have been killed by IEDs.

With files from The Canadian Press