British Afghan gains 'could be lost'

A Nato commander has warned that gains by British troops in Afghanistan could be lost if Afghan forces fail to hold ground seized from the Taliban.

US General Dan McNeill said Nato had scored successes this year in driving Taliban fighters from mountain valleys in the southern Helmand province.

The Nato forces in the area are mostly British troops who arrived in large numbers only last year.

They say they have recaptured much of the Helmand River valley from the Taliban over the past six months.

But Gen McNeill warned that Afghan troops are not yet performing as well as he had hoped in holding the ground, saying there was a chance the Taliban could regroup and return.

"We are likely to have to do some of this work again," he said. "I think there is some chance of that because the Afghan national security forces have not been as successful in holding as we would like them to be."

"It would nice if the Afghan national security force could hold it, then there's less of a chance we'll have to do it again."

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