Afghanistan's government on Tuesday said a "foreign intelligence agency" was behind an April assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai during a military parade in Kabul.
The US-backed Karzai survived the brazen April 27 attack at the nation's biggest annual military parade but three other Afghans were killed, one of them a parliamentarian.
"Evidence shows the hallmark of a particular foreign intelligence agency which we believe was behind this attack," Karzai's spokesman Homayun Hamidzada said, citing an investigation into the incident.
"We cannot provide further details at this time as the investigation continues," the spokesman told reporters, refusing to name the foreign country or the spy organisation.
Afghan officials including Karzai have in the past accused neighbouring Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) of supporting Taliban militants who are waging a bloody insurgency against the Kabul administration.
The Taliban claimed responsibility at the time of the parade attack, which involved three militant gunmen who opened fire on Karzai and a host of foreign and Afghan dignitaries.
Several people including a defence ministry weapons expert and a police nurse were arrested for allegedly facilitating the attack. The rebels who took part in the attack were killed in return fire by Karzai's guards.
Days later Afghan security forces raided a house in a Kabul suburb and killed three militants including a woman whom the Taliban said were involved in the attack. A child was also killed.
Eight senior government officials including the Kabul police chief have already been suspended from their jobs over their alleged negligence in failing to prevent the attack.
Pakistan nurtured the Taliban and supported the Islamist movement during its 1996-2001 spell in power in Afghanistan, but President Pervez Musharraf dropped the militia under US pressure after the 9/11 attacks.
Islamabad strenuously denies that its intelligence agencies have any links to the insurgents.