The US administration has said that, Taliban insurgency has gained strength in Pakistan’s border regions with Afghanistan in the recent months despite a sustained offensive against it. In its new assessment of the war effort to the US congress, the report says there remains no clear path toward defeating the insurgency in Pakistan. The report evaluates U.S. efforts over the first three months of this year in Afghan war and emphasizes that the challenge remains to make gains durable and sustainable. It notes that in recent weeks, Taliban has carried out more suicide bombing missions in Afghanistan against soft targets, such as army recruiting centers, government buildings and market places, leading to a spike in civilian casualties. The report says the shift in Taliban’s greater use of murder and intimidation tactics reflects an insurgency under the pressure of a more substantive coalition military campaign. However, it also cautioned that the Taliban remains confident of its strategy and resources, and heavy fighting is expected to resume this spring.