Leon Panetta, the US secretary of defence, has put renewed pressure on Pakistan to do more to combat armed groups in Pakistan, particularly the Haqqani Network, a group believed to be linked to al-Qaeda.

Panetta's warnings came during a press conference in Kabul on Thursday with his Afghan counterpart, Abdul Rahim Wardak.

"We are reaching the limits of our patience here, and for that reason it is extremely important that Pakistan take action to prevent this kind of safe haven from taking place and allowing terrorists to use their country as a safety net in order to conduct their attacks on our forces," Panetta said.
 
Al Jazeera's Imitaz Tyab reports from Islamabad.