Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday blamed the enemies of Afghanistan for the killing of an Indian engineer in the troubled southern region and strongly condemned it.

"The enemies of the people of Afghanistan are behind the brutal murder of Indian engineer. By committing heinous crime the enemies want to stop the reconstruction process of Afghanistan," the president said in a statement issued by his office.

However, the president in the statement did not finger at any particular group or country.

Ill-fated Indian engineer Surynarayan, who worked for a cellular company the ROSHAN, was abducted from the militancy-hit Zabul province Friday evening and his body was found Sunday. Taliban militias fighting the Afghan government claimed responsibility.

President Karzai also said in the message that the enemies of Afghanistan targeting engineers and setting on fire the schools and clinics were attempting to block the country's rebuilding process.

"Afghanistan's enemies should know that the Afghan people with the support of international community are going ahead towards progress and prosperity and they cannot stop the process," Karzai pointed out in the statement.

Besides directing authorities to arrest those responsible for the crime, the Afghan leader extended his condolences to the victim's family and the government of India.

Source: Xinhua