State Dept.: Terror attacks spike in Pakistan, Afghanistan

From Elise Labott
CNN State Department Producer
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Terror attacks have spiked dramatically in Afghanistan and Pakistan as extremists in both countries strengthen their power and expand operations, according to a State Department report being released Thursday.

But the State Department annual terrorism report notes an overall decline in attacks worldwide and fewer attacks in Iraq.

The attacks worldwide have decreased by 20 percent, with 30 percent fewer fatalities, said Russell Travers of the National Counterterrorism Center.

But the report says al Qaeda and its extremist supporters have moved across the Afghan border "to the remote areas of the Pakistani frontier, where they have used this terrain as a safe haven to hide, train terrorists, communicate with the followers, plot attacks and send fighters to support the insurgency in Afghanistan."