Clinton tempers Qaeda outburst in Pakistan

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday tempered an outburst accusing Pakistan of not doing more to capture Al-Qaeda leaders, wrapping up a challenging visit cautiously welcomed in the country.

Clinton is the most senior American official to visit Pakistan since US President Barack Obama put the nuclear-armed Muslim state at the heart of the fight against Al-Qaeda and made the war in Afghanistan a top priority.

A massive car bomb, killing 118 people and trapping victims under the rubble for days, overshadowed talks and underscored the gravity of the Islamist threat, considered a backlash against the government's alliance with the US.

Clinton appeared to lose patience during a face-to-face meeting with senior editors Thursday, taking issue with Pakistan's official line doubting that Osama bin Laden and his senior lieutenants are in Pakistan.

"I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to," she had said.

There was no immediate public response from the government, but Clinton modified her remarks Friday during talks with a group of female journalists.

"I said, 'I don't know if anyone knows'. We in the US would very much like to see the end of the Al-Qaeda leadership and our best information is they are somewhere in Pakistan," she said.

"Let's work together to get that done."

Clinton has focused on trying to strengthen the civilian government and counter rising public anti-Americanism, but has been frustrated by fears here a 7.5-billion-dollar non-military US aid bill violates Pakistan's sovereignty.

She sought to reach out to Pakistani students and media, which is frequently highly critical of the United States, while also visiting religious sites and pledging shoulder-to-shoulder support.

"The enemy you are fighting has an agenda to control large parts of your country and to challenge the rule of governments.

"I think they (Al-Qaeda) direct, inspire, fund and equip and train some of the very people you're fighting," Clinton said.

Analysts said differences between Washington and Islamabad on Al-Qaeda would outlive Clinton's visit, but praised her on-message diplomacy and respect for Islamic custom by covering her hair, visiting a mosque and handing out alms.

"It will dilute the criticism if not eliminate the opposition. She communicated openly and admitted there were differences," political analyst Hasan Askari told AFP.

"She was forthright and polite. Her emphasis was to work for social development in addition to military assistance. She did it successfully to leave a good impact and reduce negative sentiments in public," he added.

"They (the Americans) are satisfied with what the Pakistani military has been doing against militants," said Askari.

Pakistani troops are pressing a major offensive against Taliban sanctuaries in South Waziristan, part of the tribal district on the Afghan border where US officials accuse Al-Qaeda of plotting attacks on the West.

The army said troops were closing in on Kanigurram, described as a base of Uzbek militants and a Tehreek-e-Taliban operational centre, despite concern from rights groups of a "catastrophe" unless aid reaches trapped civilians.

The military announced Friday that 14 militants were killed during the battle to secure an important ridge less than four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the Taliban bastion of Sararogha. Two soldiers were also killed, it said.

The body count meanwhile rose further from Wednesday's huge car bomb that devastated a crowded market in Peshawar.

The remains of a child were lifted out of the wreckage on Friday, pushing the total number of children dead after the attack to 24, along with 31 women.

Fire destroyed about half a dozen buildings and rescue teams are still working to remove the debris in the narrow streets around the market in the conservative city, which lies on the edge of the tribal belt.

Militants also pressed on with a campaign to destroy schools in the northwest, blowing up a state-run high school for boys and a clinic.