MONTREAL (AFP) Five Canadians - four soldiers and a journalist - were killed in Afghanistan by a bomb that exploded as their armoured vehicle passed by, a Canadian general announced Wednesday. General Daniel Menard, the head of Canadian forces in Afghanistan, announced the deaths on Canadian television without naming the victims. Public television station CBC identified the journalist killed as Michelle Lang, a reporter with the Calgary Herald, who was on her first trip to Afghanistan and was the first Canadian reporter to die in the countrys conflict. Yesterday Canada lost five citizens, Menard said. Four soldiers and one journalist were killed as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on their armoured vehicle during a community patrol in Kandahar City. Menard said a Canadian civilian official was also injured in attack. The soldiers were patrolling to gather information on the pattern of life and maintain security in the area, he said. The journalist was travelling with them to tell the story of what Canadas soldiers are doing in Afghanistan, he said. On behalf of all the soldiers, airmen, sailors and special operators of Joint Task Force Afghanistan I offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of our fallen, he said. Canadas Prime Minister Stephen Harper also offered his condolences to the families of the Canadian soldiers who he said had paid the ultimate price while courageously serving their country. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten, he said. Taliban on Thursday claimed responsibility for the bomb attack. This work is done by us, Yusuf Ahmadi, a purported Taliban spokesman, told AFP from an undisclosed location when asked about the incident. The deaths raised to 138 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Canada has some 2,800 troops deployed in the Kandahar region, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. They are supposed to return home in 2011.