Afghan President Hamid Karzai has dismissed the possibility of al-Qaeda linked groups making a comeback in his country in a similar way to Iraq, according to BBC News.

Asked whether what was happening in Iraq could happen in Afghanistan, the president replied: "Never, not at all." The outgoing president said that al-Qaeda had no presence in Afghanistan.

Nato troops withdraw from Afghanistan at the end of 2014. Some commentators have warned of an increase in violence.

President Karzai said that he was in regular dialogue with the Taliban - "[They] are in contact with me every day," he said. "[But they were] not able to bring peace on their own, just like I and the Afghan people and government were unable to bring peace on their own."

Afghans voted in run-off polls in the presidential election on 14 June. Mr Karzai is expected to hand power to his successor in August.

He said his country needed continued international support where it did not have the means to sustain itself.