KABUL, April 28: Afghan President Hamid Karzai, blaming violence in his country on foreign elements, on Friday issued a fresh call to Taliban militants to lay down arms and join his government.

Mr Karzai, speaking at a ceremony commemorating Afghanistan’s victory against the Soviet-backed communist regime in 1992, said those engaged in insurgency against his government were ‘unknowingly’ fighting their people on orders of foreign elements. He did not elaborate.

“On this great day of our nation’s victory, I call on our those brothers... who are unknowingly causing the destruction of their country on the guidance of the enemy, to return to their homes,” he said.

The president blamed the factional fighting on a “hidden foreign invasion.”

“Afghanistan’s sacrifices took the holy war to victory. But unfortunately the glory of the victory did not last long and the fighting erupted on foreign interference,” he said.

“The country was secretly invaded and it became the nest of terrorism,” he added.

10 detained: Afghan forces detained 10 suspected Taliban after a firefight on Friday in Kandahar, officials said.

At least one Afghan soldier was slightly wounded in the fighting in Panjwai district of Kandahar.

The clash erupted when Afghan National Army troops and police supported by coalition forces surrounded a Taliban hideout during an operation to clear rebels from the area, military commander Gen Rehmatullah Raufi said. “At one point our troops met a group of the enemy and fighting erupted.—AFP