Canadian Forces soldiers carry the casket of Pte. Sébastien Courcy during a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield on Friday. (Dene Moore/Canadian Press)

Soldiers gathered on the Kandahar Airfield at sunset Friday as the body of the latest Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan was loaded aboard a military plane for the flight back to Canada.

Hundreds of Canadian and other NATO soldiers stood at attention as the body of Pte. Sébastien Courcy was carried in a flag-draped casket to a waiting military transport aircraft.

Courcy, 26, was killed a day earlier in an incident that occurred about 17 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city. He served with the Quebec City-based 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment.

Battle group leader Maj. Christian Bergeron said Courcy's death is a "terrible loss" for his comrades.

"He was a very, very devoted soldier — the type of guy who was always ready to go," Bergeron said ahead of the ceremony.

Padre Normand Cholette, who paid tribute to Courcy during the ramp ceremony, said the soldier was a trusted confidante.

"If he wasn't sitting peacefully watching a movie and relaxing, he was undoubtedly at the gym, getting in shape," Cholette said.

Details of the operation that cost Courcy's life have not been released but Vance said he died after falling from his position on a piece of high ground. No other soldiers were wounded.

Courcy is the fifth Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan this month, and the 125th Canadian soldier to die since the mission started in 2002.

He is survived by his mother, Ginette, and his sister, Julie.

With files from The Canadian Press