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 climbing 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 a total of 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 peoples’ 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.”