Top US and Pakistani army commanders had a highly unusual secret meeting on board an American aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean to discuss how to combat the escalating violence along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The leading actors in the day long conference were Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.

The meeting had been convened on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

While officials of the two allies offered few details on Wednesday about what was decided or even discussed at the meeting - including any new strategies, tactics, weapons or troop deployment - the star-studded list of participants and an extreme secrecy surrounding the talks, the talks underscored how gravely the two nations regarded the growing militant threat.