NEW DELHI, Nov 23: Afghan President Hamid Karzai called up Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday to offer condolences over the killing of an Indian driver working in a road building project.

President Karzai, expressing sadness over the death of Mr Maniyappan Raman Kutty, promised that ‘security will be increased for all Indian personnel in Afghanistan’, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said.

Mr Kutty was working with India’s Border Roads Organization on the Zaranj-Delaram road project in Afghanistan.

He was abducted along with three Afghan nationals on Saturday. “We strongly condemn this inhuman and barbaric act against an innocent person. The Taliban and its backers bear the responsibility for the consequences of this outrageous act. We earnestly hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice swiftly,” the spokesman said in a statement he made two hours before the call came from President Karzai.

Dr Singh thanked the Afghan president and said India’s resolve to assist Afghanistan remained unshaken.