Five Canadian soldiers were wounded in southern Afghanistan on Thursday morning in a roadside bombing.

The five soldiers were travelling with an Afghan interpreter on a routine patrol near Gumbad, northeast of Kandahar, when their armoured LAV III was attacked.

CBC reporter Peter Armstrong said a fire broke out inside the vehicle, setting off ammunition stored there.

The soldiers and the interpreter, who was also wounded, were taken from the site by a U.S. military helicopter to the hospital at the Kandahar base.

All were listed in stable condition with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening.

Lieut. Mark McIntyre said four of the wounded soldiers have already called home to tell their families that they were OK.

The LAV III was damaged in the initial blast and coalition forces later destroyed it rather than take it away.

Canada has about 2,200 soldiers stationed in Kandahar. According to the Department of National Defence, another 85 soldiers are split between Kabul and Bagram performing various tasks.

There is, for example, a special advisory team to the Afghan government and other Canadian soldiers with NATO's International Security Assistance Force Headquarters.

Since 2002, 16 Canadian soldiers and one Canadian diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan.

On May 17, Capt. Nichola Goddard became the first female Canadian combat soldier killed in action. Goddard was involved in a battle with Taliban insurgents.