London - Britain's most senior military commander in Afghanistan has put a damper on hopes for victory in the fight against the radical Islamist Taliban.

The public should not expect a "decisive military victory," Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith said in an interview with the Sunday Times.

Although his troops had "taken the sting out" of the Taliban for 2008, "We will not win this war," he said. It had become necessary to "lower expectations," Carleton-Smith added.

The aim was to quell the insurgency, bringing it to a level that the Afghan army could deal with. There was also the possibility of talks with the Taliban that had to be taken into consideration, he said.

If the Taliban were prepared "to sit at the table" for talks on a political settlement, that would mean a "sort of progress".

Britain has up to 8,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan's dangerous south. Around 120 British soldiers have been killed since the US-led invasion in 2001 that saw the overthrow of Afghanistan's Taliban regime. (dpa)