Al Qaeda has regrouped in Pakistan: US

Washington, Dec 22: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that al Qaeda has regrouped in Pakistan"s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, and begun to focus attacks on the Pakistani Government and military.

Gates forther said that al Qaeda's activities have not yet affected Afghanistan, where US and coalition forces have faced increased Taliban violence in the past two years. "There is no question that some of the areas in the frontier area have become areas where al Qaeda has re-established itself," Gates said. "But so far, we haven't seen any significant consequence of that in Afghanistan itself"" he added. "Al Qaeda right now seems to have turned its face toward Pakistan and attacks on the Pakistani government and Pakistani people," The News quoted Gates, as saying.

He said that the Pentagon was looking for ways to improve the Pakistan Army's counter-insurgency capabilities by providing training and equipment. The US provides hundreds of millions of dollars in security-related aid to Pakistan annually. ANI>