Stung by US allegations that elements in its spy agency colluded with Islamic militants in the July bombing of the Indian embassy in Afghanistan, Pakistan has conceded that there were "probably" Taliban sympathisers within the ranks of its powerful intelligence establishment.

The Pakistani government, which indignantly denied the reports of involvement in the bombing as soon as they surfaced, reiterated that there was no evidence that members of its Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had aided Taliban militants in the attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul, which left about 60 people dead.

But now senior Pakistani officials are offering a more nuanced response to US intelligence officials' allegations of ISI complicity in the July 7 bombing, which were first reported by The New York Times."There is no proof of ISI involvement" in the attack in Kabul, said Information Minister Sherry Rehman, who is close to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

But she added: "There are probably still individuals within the ISI who are ideologically sympathetic to the Taliban and act on their own in ways that are not in convergence with the policies and interests of the government of Pakistan. We need to identify these people and weed them out."

Earlier, Pakistan's military spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, called the report "unfounded, baseless and malicious".