Kabul, Oct 6 : A plot to kill Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has been foiled by the nation’s intelligence agents in Kabul following the arrest of six men, including one of his own bodyguards.

The group was reportedly affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Haqqani network, an insurgent faction that has been blamed for a string of recent high-profile attacks.

Intelligence service spokesman Latifullah Mashal said two Arab nationals in neighbouring Pakistan recruited the group, which included Karzai’s protection officer, college students and a professor, the Daily Mail reports.

The mood between Afghanistan and Pakistan has darkened in recent weeks, with Karzai''s government publicly accusing Pakistan’s spy agency of supporting militants.

It recently claimed that Pakistani officials had advance knowledge of the September 20 assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

The Afghan and coalition force has conducted over 530 operations to disrupt Haqqani network activities in eastern Afghanistan so far this year.

Around 1,400 suspected Haqqani insurgents had been captured, 100 since the start of October alone, and 20 network leaders killed. (ANI)