A weekened of Afghan firefights

The bullet marks on Maj. Todd Strickland's light armoured vehicle are a testament to the kind of weekend Canadian troops had in the sun-baked sands west of here as they fought two major engagements with Taliban militants. On the one hand, the hearty LAV III, which was peppered with machine-gun fire near Sangiser, bears witness to the ferocity of the fighting in and around that insurgent stronghold.