London: Fighting in Afghanistan is likely to be as bloody next year as it is now, the US Ambassador to the war-torn country has said.

Speaking on a visit to the southern town of Ghazni, Ronald Neumann said the next few months would be crucial in determining how violent a renewed upsurge of fighting would be in the spring.

However, he warned that the level of violence next year could equal that of this year.

"Next year is likely to be just as bloody as this year, but the fight is still winnable," the US ambassador to Kabul told the Financial Times.

He said the Afghan government and its international backers must take advantage of a seasonal lull in fighting to improve governance across the country. "We have a window of opportunity to improve governance before the Taliban regroup for their spring offensive."

Neumann pointed to the appointment of a new governor in Ghazni province, where Taliban insurgents had made inroads over the summer, as a step in the right direction.