A major U.S. newspaper says top Pakistani military officials are increasingly concerned their ranks have been infiltrated by Islamists who are aiding militants in a campaign against the state.
The Washington Post reported late Friday those concerns have grown "especially acute" since U.S. commandos killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in a secret raid earlier this month in Pakistan.
The newspaper says the top Pakistani military commander, General Ashfaq Kayani, was "shaken" by the discovery of bin Laden near a prestigious military academy.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unannounced visit to Islamabad where she met with Pakistan's president, prime minister and other top officials.
She said the U.S. has "absolutely" no reason to believe that anyone in the highest level of Pakistan's government knew were bin Laden was. However, Clinton said Pakistani leaders were forthcoming in saying "somebody, somewhere " was providing support to bin Laden and that Pakistan was conducting a probe.
The Washington Post reports the Pakistani military's infiltration concerns were also fueled by an attack this week on a Karachi naval base by heavily armed insurgents. The newspaper says the attack is "widely believed to have required inside help."
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.