The federal government, in collaboration with the United States, has begun providing special training to 23,000 Levies personnel appointed in the Tribal Areas to help counter terrorism.Under the first phase of the initiative, 30 personnel from three of the seven tribal agencies — Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur agencies — would be trained at the Islamabad Police Academy with the support of US forces. Sources said that the federal government had decided to impart the Levies and Khasadar forces appointed in the Tribal Areas with military training in light of a possible rise in extremism following the proposed return of the Pakistan Army from the Tribal Areas.