U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday during her visit to Afghanistan that terrorists would be targeted in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during a press conference with Afghan president Hamid Karzai (not see in picture) in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Oct. 20, 2011. (Xinhua/Ahmad Massoud)
Addressing a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here, she said that terrorists are the common enemy of both Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that the two countries are suffering at the hands of terrorists.

"We have a very clear message to the insurgents on both sides of the border that we are going to fight you and we are going to seek you in your safe havens whether you are in the Afghan side or the Pakistani side," Clinton said.

She also said that the United States expects Pakistan to take the lead in war on terror because the terrorists also pose a threat to the Pakistanis as well as to others, and the terrorists are killing the innocent people in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Clinton, who is going to Islamabad of Pakistan later Thursday and will meet with Pakistani leaders, arrived in Kabul on Wednesday night. She exchanged views with Afghan President Karzai on the issues related to Kabul-Washington relations, war on terror, Afghan reconciliation efforts and the situation in Afghanistan.

"We had comprehensive discussion today. The situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan, situation in the region, Afghan-U.S. relations and strategic partnership with U.S. came under discussion in our meeting today,"Karzai told journalists.

The visit by the U.S. Secretary of State took place amid increasing militancy and Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network attacks on U.S. embassy and NATO-led forces headquarters in Kabul on Sept. 13 which left over a dozen people dead and injured.

She also said, "terrorists are posing threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan," adding, "we expect Pakistan to act upon its commitment in fighting terrorism."

The U.S. Secretary of State also said that U.S. wants to see a stable Afghanistan free of al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents and "we do not want terrorists to return to Afghanistan again."

She added that the United States will continue to support Afghanistan after 2014 when the withdrawal of NATO-led forces and transferring security charges to Afghan government is completed.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet