London  - Britain's Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth insisted Monday that progress was being made against "smart" Taliban forces who were adapting their methods to challenge British troops in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Ainsworth, speaking in radio and television interviews after a weekend that saw five British soldiers being killed, admitted that the main threat to troops was from roadside bombs, known as Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The total British death toll now stands at 204.

"We don't know how many Taliban there are, that title is hung on an insurgency that includes so many different groups. They are not daft, they are not facing us head on, they are using IEDs and roadside bombs," he said.

"When we are suffering the kind of losses that we are, we cannot afford to be complacent. I will do everything I can to support our troops with the best kit but what I can't do is promise to make the operation in Afghanistan safe. This kind of operation is intrinsically dangerous, the enemy is smart and they are studying our methods."

An opinion poll published Monday underlined that the British government is facing growing pressure over its involvement in Afghanistan.

The YouGov poll commissioned by Sky News showed that 57 per cent of Britons believed their troops should not be fighting in Afghanistan, while just 13 per cent believed it was "very clear" why troops were there.

Support for British deployment was clearly divided along gender lines, with 40 per cent of men saying troops should be there as opposed to just 17 per cent of women. (dpa)