Allegations that detainees transferred by Canadians to Afghan prisons were likely tortured have had little impact on troops in Afghanistan, say soldiers returning to Ottawa from a tour of duty there.

"We had no issues with detainee transfers," Col. Roch Lacroix, outgoing deputy commander in Afghanistan, said when he arrived at the Ottawa airport Wednesday.

'I don't think it would cause too much of a concern in any way shape or form, from an Afghan perspective.' —Col. Richard Lacroix

He said he was happy with how his troops operated overseas and was never told about any allegations of torture.

Lacroix returned home after from 10 months with Task Force Kandahar Headquarters, along with 12 other Canadian Forces members.

They were greeted by children hanging on to clusters of yellow, orange and blue helium balloons and holding up hand-painted "Welcome Home" signs decorated with flowers.

Lacroix received hugs from his father, his wife and three young daughters before addressing reporters about the detainee controversy.

"All this stuff here, I don't even know if it is making Afghan news, I just don't know," he said. "But I don't think it would cause too much of a concern in any way shape or form, from an Afghan perspective."

Maj. Curtis Smith, one of the other arriving soldiers, said the troops haven't been hearing much about it.

When asked whether the issue was having any effect on morale, he responded, "Not that I can really tell. Again, both myself and the troops I worked with are focused on doing our day-to-day-jobs."

Richard Colvin, a former senior diplomat with Canada's mission in Afghanistan, testified last week that all detainees transferred by Canadians to Afghan prisons were likely tortured by Afghan officials.

But on Wednesday, Canada's former chief of defence staff Rick Hillier slammed Colvin's testimony, calling the allegations "ludicrous."