Afghan President Hamid Karzai has replaced the country's intelligence head, officials said on Wednesday, weeks after the capital Kabul was rocked by a burst of violence.
They said no reason had been given for the replacing of Mohammad Arif Sarwari, who has been made minister without portfolio in Karzai's US-backed government.
He was expected to be succeeded by Amruallah Salehi, who had been head of the government's Kabul security unit, they said.
"Sarwari's been replaced and Karzai through a decree has appointed him as minister without portfolio. He is to be replaced by Salehi," one official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The change came after three suicide attacks killed five government security officials and two foreign peacekeepers, and several rockets and explosions rocked Kabul in January.
The attacks coincided with an historical assembly that passed a new constitution.
Sarwari belongs to the Northern Alliance, the backbone of Karzai's government, which also helped the US-led military topple the radical Taleban regime in 2001.
Salehi is also a member of the alliance.
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