Washington: CIA Director Leon Panetta has said that he believes Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden is still in Pakistan.
The spy agency hopes to close in on the Al-Qaida leader as Pakistan's military cracks down on the tribal area where he is thought to be hiding.
Panetta told reporters after a speech on Capitol Hill that finding bin Laden remains one of the CIA's top priorities.
He said he hopes that the combination of increased CIA activity and the Pakistani military offensive will give the United States a better chance of nabbing him.
Panetta said in his speech that the CIA has increased the number of officers and agents in Pakistan who are providing targeting and other information to attack the Al-Qaida network there.