Air strikes stepped up: Report

WASHINGTON: The United States has escalated air strikes against Al-Qaida fighters operating in Pakistan's tribal areas fearing that support from Islamabad may slip away, The Washington Post reported yesterday.

US officials, who were not identified, said Washington wants to inflict as much damage as it can to Al-Qaida's network.

Over the past two months, US-controlled Predator aircraft have struck at least three sites used by Al-Qaida operatives, the Post reported.