TORONTO — Canada's death toll in Afghanistan surpassed the grim milestone of 100 on Friday after a roadside bomb killed three soldiers.

Brig. Gen. Denis Thompson, Canada's top military commander in Afghanistan, said the soldiers were riding in an armored vehicle on patrol west of Kandahar city when they struck an improvised explosive device.

Canada has now lost 100 soldiers and one diplomat in Afghanistan since it first sent troops there after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Thompson acknowledged the milestone but defended the mission, saying the Canadian military is trying to prevent militants from terrorizing the Afghan people.

"Canada lost three fine soldiers today," Thompson said in a televised news conference from Afghanistan. "Already there is talk of numbers and milestones, but it is my hope that the focus remains on the lives and sacrifices of these brave soldiers as they serve Canada in their effort to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan."

He said two other soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, in a separate incident while on foot patrol.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered condolences but made no mention of the milestone when he visited a military base in Petawawa, Ontario.