Over the last couple of years the main military effort by ISAF forces was concentrated on the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, where theTaliban traditionally have been strongest.

Now it seems that what some refer to as the P2K area is picking up in overall importance. This area consists of the three provinces Paktika, Khost and Paktia which all share a border with Pakistan, or rather the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

These provinces are of strategic importance because the insurgent groups use the FATA mountainous region, just over the border in Pakistan, as an area of retreat. The most influential insurgent group in this area is the Haqqani network, which operates out of North Waziristan in Pakistan.

Check: “Haqqani insurgent group proves resilient foe in Afghan war”