Kabul - The remains of former Afghan president Mohammad Daud Khan, killed in a Soviet-backed coup over three decades ago, were reburied in Kabul on Tuesday.

President Hamid Karzai, members of Afghan cabinet, MPs and family members paid their respects as Khan's remains were placed in coffin in a ceremony held in the fortified presidential compound where he and 16 members of family were killed in 1978.

The coffin, along with that of his brother who was killed during the same coup, was reburied in a hill in the southern outskirts of Kabul, where the remains of other family members were buried Monday.

At the request of Khan's family, Karzai appointed a commission in April last year to locate the remains. The commission identified Khan's remains in a mass grave in an eastern part of Kabul by June.

"Until the last days of his life, he did not surrender to foreigners and was martyred along with his family members, like a hero," Karzai said in a televised address to nation.

Khan came to power by overthrowing his cousin, ex-King Zahir Shan, in a military coup in 1973. He established a republic in the country and countered the influence of Islamic fundamentalists.

His government favoured relations with Soviet Union, before turning to West to win its support. He was killed by his former associates, who were members the Soviet-backed Afghan communist parties, those which initially helped him to get to power. (dpa)