WOOTTON BASSETT, England — Thousands of mourners bowed their heads in tribute Friday to the passing coffins of British soldiers killed in a new offensive in Afghanistan, where the rising toll has created doubts in Britain about the human cost of the war.
News of 15 battlefield deaths in 10 days has many Britons rethinking the country’s commitment to a conflict that seems no closer to a successful conclusion than when troops first arrived seven years ago.
A Ministry of Defense spokeswoman said eight deaths were announced Friday, making it one of the darkest days of the war. She spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.
“The casualties should fix people’s minds on the fact that we’ve let the soldiers down,” said Adam Holloway, an opposition Conservative Party lawmaker who sits on Parliament’s defense committee. “The death toll means we should do it properly or we shouldn’t do it at all.”
Holloway, a frequent visitor to Afghanistan, said Britain has never had the troop strength needed to hold ground and has failed to provide the promised security or reconstruction, leading many Afghans to think the Taliban militants will outlast Western forces.
Schoolchildren, businessmen and army veterans stood side by side in Wootton Bassett, a small market town about 85 miles west of London, as the bodies of five soldiers killed between Saturday and Tuesday were driven through the crowds.
