Brown says Britain defeating Taliban

LONDON, July 12 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the Taliban must be defeated in Afghanistan to avoid more terrorist acts on the streets of his country.

"There is a line of terror -- what you might call a chain of terror -- that links what's happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan to the streets of Britain," Brown said Saturday.

Brown sought to shore up support for the war after the death of 15 British soldiers so far this month in Afghanistan, the BBC reported Sunday. Under Operation Panther's Claw, British troops are trying to drive the Taliban from central Helmand province.

"I think the operation we are engaged with is showing signs of success," Brown said. "Our troops are making progress as they attempt to make the area safe."

Critics of Britain's war strategy contend the country's 9,000 troops in Afghanistan urgently need more helicopters and heavily armored vehicles, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Brown has defended the government's overall strategy and its record on providing equipment.