As President Barack Obama reconsiders his strategy for the war in Afghanistan, the US military is closely watching the Pakistani city of Quetta from where Taliban commanders are believed to be overseeing the stubborn insurgency across the border.

According to western officials in Islamabad, US officials have focused on Pashtunabad, a dusty suburb of Quetta, which they believe is a vital link between the Taliban’s 12-15 member top leadership council, known as the “Quetta shura”, and the Taliban in Afghanistan.