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'Taliban massacres 600 civilians'

Opponents of Afghanistan's hardline Taliban rulers say its troops have massacred at least 600 civilians in northwestern Faryab province.

In a letter released yesterday, an Opposition spokesman, identified only as Abdullah, complained to the United Nations that the killings occurred on January 1 and 2 in Afghanistan's northwestern Qaiser district of Faryab province.

Another 20,000 civilians fled the area.

The Taliban apparently captured the district, some 400 km northwest of the Afghan capital of Kabul, and began a campaign of terror, added Pakistan-based Afghan Opposition spokesman Sibgatullah Zaki.

According to Zaki, Taliban soldiers swept through the district, ''dragged people from their homes, lined them up, and gunned them down''.

Most of the victims were Uzbeks, a minority ethnic groups that lives in the area, he said.

The Opposition claim follows a report last year that 2,000 Taliban soldiers were massacred by Uzbek warlord Malik Pahlawan.

A UN investigation revealed hundreds of bodies, apparently Taliban soldiers who were slaughtered and their bodies buried in shallow graves or dumped in wells.

Pahlawan has fled to Iran and the Taliban is demanding his return.

Meanwhile, in Islamabad, UN officials said they have received some security reports suggesting mass killings have taken place in Qaiser district, followed by a mass exodus from the area.

The Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan, Sherabuddin Dilawar, dismissed the accusations as 'absolutely untrue'.

Dilawar said the Taliban captured the district more than a week ago, but the ''civilians of the area are very happy with our Islamic troops''.

He accused the Opposition of concocting the report to 'cover its sin' of slaughtering more than 2,000 Taliban prisoners of war.

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