Al-Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan and its affiliates in Africa remain the biggest threats to US and its interests abroad. A US government report says that al-Qaeda encountered setbacks in 2009 but has proved to be resilient and adaptable. But attacks globally fell to the lowest level in five years, the annual terrorism report said. It said, Al-Qaeda has proven to be an adaptable and resilient terrorist group whose desire to attack the United States and U.S. interests abroad remains strong.The report identified Iran, Cuba, Syria and Sudan as state sponsors of terrorism – unchanged from previous years.The report identified Pakistan and Yemen as of particular risk and said al-Qaeda had been able to create proxy groups, and managed to recruit citizens in the US and Europe, for attacks across the world.But it added that the organisation had suffered a backlash after its members and allies had launched attacks on Muslims in a number of countries.It also noted that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) had increased the number of kidnappings in Mauritania, Niger and Mali, where the group recently killed French tourist Michel Germaneau. Militant group Al-Shabab in Somalia was also highlighted, being identified as more of an ally than a full-blown affiliate of al-Qaeda.In 2009, a total of 14,971 people died in 10,999 different terrorist attacks around the world, the report says, down from a recent high in 2006, when 22,736 died in 14,443 attacks. But attacks in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province (formerly known as the North West Frontier Province) increased from 16 in 2005 to 940 in 2009, said Russ Travers, deputy director of the National Counter-terrorism Centre.