ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The United States praised President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday for his help in tracking down remnants of the Al Qaeda network.

“We think they are doing a very splendid job in the very difficult tribal areas,” visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told reporters after talks with President Musharraf.

“I was able to again thank President Musharraf and...his very excellent army and the police forces,” he added.

Large numbers of militants from Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies are thought to have crossed into Pakistan after the US began pursuing them in Afghanistan.

Pakistan says its troops have been pursuing them in the semi-autonomous tribal region bordering Afghanistan with the help of a small number of US personnel.

In a meeting with Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider, Mr Armitage discussed recent attacks on foreign nationals in Pakistan which were blamed on militants.