Most people now believe that British troops should be pulled out of Afghanistan, a poll has suggested.
More than half of those surveyed (58%) said the Taliban could not be defeated militarily, with only 31% saying they could.
Some 52% of voters said troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan straightaway, with 43% disagreeing, according to the ComRes poll for The Independent.
Three-quarters of respondents agreed that British troops in the country lack the equipment they need to take part in the conflict safely. Only 16% disagreed.
But despite this, 60% of people did not think more troops and resources should be dispatched to Afghanistan. Just over a third (35%) were in favour of reinforcements being sent in.
Two more British soldiers have been killed in separate explosions, bringing the total number of British servicemen killed this month in Afghanistan to 22.
Earlier, Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed the success of a fiercely-fought offensive against the Taliban.
Eleven UK servicemen were killed driving insurgents out of a former stronghold in Helmand Province during Operation Panther's Claw.
"The efforts of our troops in Helmand have been nothing short of heroic," he said. "There has been a tragic human cost. But this has not been in vain."
ComRes interviewed 1,008 UK adults on July 24-26. Data was weighted to be representative of all adults.
