Britain's defense secretary says Taleban fighters have been energized by the deployment of additional British forces to southern Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Des Browne explained his assessment in an interview published in Saturday's Guardian newspaper.
Mr. Browne said recent deadly attacks on British soldiers has made the scale and nature of the resistance more apparent.
In response to critics who say Britain's military role is undefined, Mr. Browne said British opposition politicians must resist the temptation to exploit the situation.
He warned that sending confusing messages could put British soldiers at an unnecessary level of risk.
Britain is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan after commanders in the field found greater resistance than expected.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.