US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that Al-Qaeda is still a serious and imminent threat, and is spreading geographically.

“The core of Al-Qaeda that carried out the 9/11 attacks may be on the path to defeat, but the threat has spread, becoming more geographically diverse,” Clinton said ahead of a counter terrorism meeting.

“We will always maintain our right to use force against groups such as Al-Qaeda that have attacked us and still threaten us with imminent attack,” she added.

Although the group been dealt blow after blow after its core leadership ranks were destroyed, Clinton said, “the danger from terrorism remains urgent and undeniable.”

Clinton was referring to the recent killing of Al-Qaeda number two Abu Yahya al-Libi Tuesday, after a U.S. drone strike dealt one of the most decisive blows to the group since the killing of its mastermind, Osama bin Laden.