Manhattan, Apr 28 : The head of the US Central Command, General David Petraeus, has said that insurgents and the Taliban have been able to regroup and find safe havens in Pakistan's tribal areas along the Afghanistan border.

He said that a comprehensive approach is required to win the war in Afghanistan, with support from the NATO and Pakistan.

Addressing a function here, General Petraeus said: "The enemy is resilient and as is the case has sanctuary across the border and is able to reconstitute itself."

The News quoted him as saying that a major offensive under way in the northwest region of Pakistan was a start.

"The threat posed by the extremists internal in Pakistan is the most serious treat to the existence of Pakistan," General Patraeus said.

"There has to be a transformation, much like the US military," he told the audience attending his Landon Lecture here.

General Petraeus said it would take effort to build a legitimate Afghan government and an economy that isn't reliant on illegal narcotics.

A comprehensive approach with more U. S. and international civilian authorities assisting the Afghans is necessary to build these institutions, he added. (ANI)