Washington: South Asia remained a "central battleground" in the global war on terrorism in 2002, and in Afghanistan, al-Qaida still has "pockets of fighters" throughout the country, and probably several more in the neighbouring tribal areas of Pakistan, says US State Department's latest annual report on global terrorism.

The Department expressed concern over Maoist rebels in Nepal forging links with extremist outfits across South Asia, while it welcomed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) signalling its intentions to transform itself from a terrorist organisation into a legitimate political entity in Sri Lanka.

To ensure that the former Taleban and al-Qaida holdouts do not re-emerge as a significant threat, the report asked Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai to consolidate support among the country's rival ethnic and regional leaders.

The liberation of Afghanistan from the Taleban regime, it says, eliminated al-Qaida's principal base and sanctuary, but remnant cells continued in 2002 to present a danger throughout Afghanistan.

"Fleeing terrorists also caused trouble in Pakistan and other states through which they transited. All countries in the South Asia region have strongly supported the coalition effort against terrorism by al- Qaida and the remnants of the Taleban," the report said.

It noted that establishment of the new transitional authority in Afghanistan has fostered significant improvements in regional security and called for persistent efforts and continued long-term international assistance to sustain progress.

PTI