Attacks on British and allied soldiers in Afghanistan�s Helmand province spiralled to record levels during the three months to the end of October, according to figures seen by The Herald.

Attacks on British and allied soldiers in Afghanistan's Helmand province spiralled to record levels during the three months to the end of October, according to figures seen by The Herald.

The figures emerge amid growing speculation that up to 2000 extra troops will be sent there as a "mini-surge" of reinforcements early next year as the garrison in Iraq is scaled back from 4100 to a few hundred training staff.

Taliban suicide-bomb, mine, gun and rocket attacks rose from an average of 137 a month in the nine months from October 2007 to 277 this August, 247 in September and 219 in October.

Military sources say one of the most alarming aspects is that the escalation in violence seems to mark a new insurgent tactic of continuing to fight through the traditional "unofficial winter ceasefire".

Although statistics for November are not yet available, seven servicemen are known to have been killed in action during the month - compared to 42 fatalities from hostile causes sustained in the first 11 months of 2008.

Planners now fear that attacks will strike again this month as the Taliban tries to exert long-range political pressure by inflicting as many casualties as possible on the 8000-strong British garrison to sour public opinion against the war.

With most of December still to go, 2008 is already the deadliest year for the UK since major combat operations began in 2006.

Since then, 21 Britons have died at enemy hands in 2006, 32 in 2007 and 42 up to the end of November this year. Another four were killed by "friendly fire" in 2007.

One officer with several tours of Afghanistan behind him said: "The number of guys killed by bombs and booby-traps shows how the Taliban has adapted to Nato's overwhelming firepower and evolved its own tactics.

"There are fewer death-or-glory frontal attacks by Kalashnikov-wielding insurgents, although they do still happen.

"But it's easier to plant booby-traps."