Washington, Sept 15 : Amid a series of strong statements emerging from Islamabad that the ongoing US strikes might prove counter-productive and could lead to straining of US-Pak ties, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard A. Boucher Monday said there was “no rift” in relations between Pakistan and US.

Describing Pakistan as a “praiseworthy ally” in war against terrorism, Boucher said that contacts and cooperation would continue between two countries.

New Delhi, Sep 15 : Union Defence Minister A K Antony today reacted strongly to the failed infiltration bid by militants in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, and pointed fingers at Pakistan for supporting terror groups operating inside India.

“A large number of non-state armed groups have sanctuaries in our neighbouring states who use these bases and resources to carry out acts of terrorism across India,” he said.

“Militants are getting support from across the border and this is a fact,” Antony said on the sidelines of a seminar organised by Centre for Joint Warfare Studies 
(CENJOWS).

Washington, Sept 15: The ongoing US’ military strikes targeting the Taliban and Al Qaeda were “risky” but must continue, as over the past six years the Bush administration’s reliance on Pakistan to combat the militants only “strengthened the Taliban and Al Qaeda networks in FATA”, said an editorial in the Washington Post.

It said that the Pakistan forces alone lacked the capacity to eliminate the extremists.

According to it, the US strikes in Pakistan were necessary and were long overdue. “They must continue,” it added.

Peshawar, Sept 15 : The more-than-one-hundred-year old Peshawar Museum is these days displaying a unique and largest collection of architectural pieces telling the complete life story of Buddha, from his birth to death and his miracles.

The four important events of Buddha’s are his birth at Lumbini Garden, his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, his first sermon in the Deer Park and his death at Kusinara. All these events are symbolised by a lotus, a tree, a wheel or a deer and a stupa, respectively.

Lahore, Sept 15 : The US forces deployed along the Pak-Afghan border are facing around 10,000 insurgents on the Pakistani side of the border, said a US commander manning around 19,000 troops in Afghanistan.

He warned that if Pakistan did not step up its fight against terrorists and let terrorists escaping into its territory, then a there was a risk of a new kind of war being broken in the Islamic country.

Lahore, Sept 15 : A UN official exclusively entrusted the task of monitoring Al Qaeda’s movements has reportedly said that the presence of British forces in Afghanistan was providing “oxygen” for Al Qaeda “by offering the terrorist group a target”.

Richard Barrett, the head of United Nations’ Al Qaeda Monitoring Unit, who reports directly to the UN Security Council, said that the deployments of foreign troops in the country (Afghanistan) was acting as a ‘glue’ with which Al Qaeda network was “bonding support in the region”, reported the Daily Times.