British forces stretched to the limit by the fight against the Taliban

Afghan soldiers are being trained rapidly, but the burden still falls mainly on Britain and its Nato allies

On a hillside outside Kabul, Warrant Officer Harising Gurung of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, is putting Afghan officer candidates through their paces. "How do you show your men where to aim their fire?" he bellows, an interpreter echoing him. "That's right: you point your rifle at the target!"

The men have been selected purely for their ability to read and write, and acceptable physical fitness. So early in their training there is no indication whether they are suited to lead soldiers into battle against the Taliban. The trainers accept that of each intake of 120 officer recruits, at least a sixth are unlikely to complete the 23-week course, either because they are rejected as unsuitable or they walk away. As we join WO1 Gurung, his commanding officer, Major Mark Dommett, learns that the first candidate has dropped out.

Britain has four battle groups in Afghanistan, and today, Remembrance Sunday, the focus will probably be on the three fighting the Taliban in the south of the country, mainly in Helmand. Eighty-three British soldiers have died in the conflict so far, 30 of them since April. Many others have been wounded, some of whom will carry their injuries for life.

But the job being done by Maj Dommett and his colleagues in Kabul is also vital for the future of Afghanistan and the British mission. "We graduated 97 second lieutenants on the last course," he said. "When I mentioned this to an Afghan corps commander down south, he said he needed 197 of them immediately. They are strapped for officers."

Last year British troops found themselves fighting for their lives in isolated "platoon houses" in northern Helmand. One reason was that the Afghan national army, or ANA, could not play its envisaged support role. The general commanding Canadian forces in neighbouring Kandahar province admitted recently that his troops had had to clear out the Taliban from exactly the same area as the previous contingent, because the ANA had been unable to hold the ground captured the previous year.

Gradually the situation has improved, and Afghan soldiers have played a role in all the operations carried out by British forces in Helmand this year. This has enabled the 7,700 British troops in Afghanistan to range more widely in the struggle against the Taliban, with WO1 Gurung's fellow Gurkhas operating in Uruzgan province this month. Some of the British force are also stationed in Kandahar, the original stronghold and spiritual home of the Taliban.

The ANA will reach 80,000 by the end of next year, but a source in Kabul dismissed recent Nato speculation that Britain might send more forces to Afghanistan in the meantime, saying: "Pouring more troops in is not the answer. We have got to make better use of those we have here."

Although a British soldier serving with 36 Engineer Regiment, Lance Corporal Jake Alderton, 22, was lost on Friday in a vehicle accident in Helmand, none has been killed in combat for more than a month. This is partly due to the half-yearly changeover in British forces, but military sources say the Taliban have also suffered heavy losses. Insurgent activity in Kandahar is said to have dropped off in the past two months, not least because of the pressure being exerted in Helmand, though the foreign militants fighting with the Taliban seem to be better trained.

The Taliban have retaliated by adopting Iraqi insurgent tactics such as suicide attacks, the impact of which falls disproportionately on Afghan forces and civilians. Last week's bombing in the northern town of Baghlan, killing more than 70 people, was the worst in the country's history.

Friday's ambush in Nuristan, high in the mountains north-east of the capital, also showed that the Taliban can strike elsewhere. Six US troops were killed when their foot patrol was ambushed. The attack brought the US toll for 2007 to 101, the highest since the 2001 invasion.

Three Afghan soldiers were also killed, emphasising the degree to which they share the risks. But it will be years more before they can take the lead in the struggle, a fact underlined last week when the Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, announced that planning was already taking place for the British presence in Afghanistan to be extended beyond the end of the current mission in autumn 2009.

"The precise size and duration of the UK military in Afghanistan will depend on a number of factors, including the ability of the Afghan security forces to take greater responsibility for the security of their own country," Mr Browne said. A four-year degree course has been set up for elite officers, but its first graduates will not appear until 2009. In the meantime, Britain and other Nato countries are training Afghan soldiers as fast as they can. The Gurkhas under Colonel Barry Jenkins are turning out roughly 100 junior officers every six months.

For the time being, the burden of keeping the Taliban at bay will fall on Britain and its Nato allies. "We have taken big strides already," said the British military attaché in Kabul, Colonel Angus Loudon. "I believe we can make a significant impact in the next 24 months if we keep up the pressure. But it will be a long campaign, requiring patience at home." If ever there was a day for that message to be remembered, it is today.

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