Ex UK army head plays down Taliban attacks in Afghanistan as foreign troops prepare to leave

A former head of the British army has said that the recent attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan do not signal its advance as the last foreign troops prepare to withdraw.

Stressing that there will be attacks and a low level or even a medium level degree of insecurity and a continuing insurgency, General Lord Dannatt said that it was wrong to "talk up the incidents." He said that one should keep the "larger picture" in mind, reported the BBC.

Five Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack on the former UK base Camp Bastion in Helmand Province. The airbase camp was handed over to Afghan security forces after the last UK combat troops left the nation in October.

Ahead of a conference focusing on Afghanistan's future in London this week, Lord Dannatt said that it is important for the new dispensation to show that it has the "competence and confidence to govern." He added that the Afghan government must retain the support of the West.

A surge in militant attacks targeting Afghan forces, foreigners and civilians, over the past month has raised concerns over Afghan forces' ability to protect the country when majority of foreign troops depart this

month.