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The Taliban is planning a terrorism 'spectacular' in Afghanistan, a British army chief has warned after a massive seizure of bomb-making equipment.

Brigadier Ed Davis hailed the capture of a lethal haul over the past four months which could have been used to make 300 bombs, designed to kill and maim UK soldiers.

But despite the success so far Brig Davis warned that Taliban fighters would continue to focus on launching large-scale terrorist atrocities, including attempts to assassinate Afghan government ministers.

'A hardcore are left that are difficult to kill or capture and sophisticated in their targeting,' he said, according to the Telegraph.

'They will look at more spectacular attacks and high-profile attacks targeting ISAF and Afghan commanders.

'They are very competent, they have been doing this for a very long time and their tactics, techniques and procedures have evolved like ours.'

He added: 'Since we have been here we have interdicted just over 2.5 tons of home-made explosive, which equates to about two months of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), which is about 300 in total.'

However, Brig Davis, who commands Task Force Helmand and leads 3 Commando Brigade, said there is hope that the population in Afghanistan is helping British soldiers, noting that 40 per cent of IEDs uncovered by UK troops were found after tip-offs from Afghan villagers.

He also said 16 low-level Taliban commanders had been killed or captured since 3 Commando Brigade deployed to Helmand in April.

'Quite a few of the others have moved back into Pakistan so they're not there to command their fighters in the field,' said Brig Davis.

'The insurgents are fractured in terms of command and control.'

He added: 'There is a demoralised and reduced will to fight among the insurgents today.'

Speaking to reporters in London via a video link from British headquarters at the provincial capital Lashkar Gar, Brig Davis insisted the British effort to confront the Taliban was succeeding.

He said: 'We are maintaining momentum.

'I believe the campaign is on track and, looking back on the first 12 weeks of the fighting season, we very much suppressed the fighting season.'

Brig Davis said attacks on UK soldiers in Helmand had fallen by 43 per cent compared with the same period last year - meaning 70 fewer attacks each week.

He said the figure was adjusted to take account of the British pullout from the notorious Sangin district last year where more than 100 UK troops were killed.

But Brig Davis admitted successes against the insurgency in rural Helmand could be reversed, saying: 'It's still a long way off defeated and still reversible in every way in my area of operation, apart from metropolitan Lashkar Gar.'

David Cameron has set a deadline of 2014 for the withdrawal of all British fighting troops, with the conflict claiming the lives of 378 British service personnel since the start of operations in 2001.

Brig Davis said Afghans were fed up with the bloodshed which has hit their country since the U.S.-led invasion 10 years ago which followed the September 11 terrorist attacks.

'The people are increasingly tired of fighting: fighting themselves in support of the insurgency or having fighting going on around them,' he said.

'They are really looking for a better offer.' dailymail.co.uk