A Canadian soldier was killed and four others were injured Sunday when their armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

Pte. Patrick Lormand, 21, was part of the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, also know as the Vandoos. He was based at CFB Valcartier near Quebec City.

The IED blast happened at about 1 p.m. Kandahar time in an extremely violent region located about 13 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

"He did not come here as a potential victim, he came here to help and help he did," said Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, the commander of Task Force Kandahar. "He does not need to be told his efforts are futile for he could see positive results in the communities he was protecting."

Lormandwas on patrol in Panjwaii district, a volatile area where Canadian soldiers have battled the Taliban for the past few years.

The injured soldiers were released after being treated for minor injuries at the Kandahar Airfield hospital.

The Canadian Forces informed the media almost immediately about what had happened but placed an embargo on the news for nearly 24 hours. The young man is the 12th soldier to die during the current rotation.

"Lorm" remembered

Lormand -- affectionately called "Lorm" by his friends - was always in good spirits and happy, said Vance. He was well liked by his friends and his good humour was credited with raising the morale of his comrades.

Vance said he took pride in his mission and was a dedicated infantryman.

"You need only look into those young, clear eyes to know that he was a good soul, who tried every day to do the right thing and saw in the results of his efforts a chance to succeed on a wider scale on behalf of Canadians and Afghans alike," Vance said.

Lormand is Canada's 130th soldier to die in the war-torn country. He is survived by his parents Jacques and Sylvie Lormand.

The blast happened one week after two other Canadian soldiers based in Quebec were killed by an IED in the same area. Maj. Yannick Pepin, 36, and Cpl. Jean-Francois Drouin, 31, were killed while they were riding in an armoured vehicle.

The Taliban has used IEDs as their choice weapon for more than two years. The explosives are to blame for the deaths of 71 Canadian soldiers.