David Cameron has pressed Gordon Brown on the command structures governing troops in Afghanistan following the deaths of a number of UK soldiers.
Following tributes to the nine dead who have been killed in the last week led by Brown at prime minister's questions, the Conservative leader quizzed Brown on how western soldiers are led.
Cameron acknowledged that British action in Afghanistan was necessary to protect national security whilst examining details of the campaign.
The leader of the Opposition said: "In order to defeat an insurgency campaign we need unity of command and obviously, at the moment we have the NATO-led ISAF command and the American-led Enduring Freedom command and there is always a risk of them pulling in directions."
He went on to ask Brown what progress was being made on making a single command.
Brown said progress was being made but that "the biggest challenge we face is to link military and civilian action."
The prime minister said that efforts were underway and must continue to train local security forces, build infrastructure and replace opium farming with legal agriculture.
The prime minister insisted that civilian moves were as important as military action.
